Hi Smogon, it’s been a while. Full disclosure: I remember seeing someone use these six Pokemon on ladder before I made this team, but that was all the information I got from this user. All movesets were carefully selected by me. The post is very long, but I want to give you everything I know about this team; maybe it can reach #1 one day!
Kommo-o is a super fun choice for a Stealth Rock setter (thank you unknown PS user!) that can handle some key meta OU threats.
Stealth Rock is the only entry hazard featured on this team, chipping away at opposing Pokemon as they are forced to switch around. However, getting Stealth Rock up is less universally necessary in this generation, with Heavy-Duty Boots, Court Change Cinderace, Magic Bounce Hatterene, and Magic Guard Clefable being OU staples. Spamming Stealth Rock against Court Change will eventually get Rocks on both sides of the field, if it is worth it to do so.
Protect is extremely useful on this set, allowing it to scout against offensive Pokemon such as Dragapult, Togekiss, Dracovish, and the Rotoms; learning whether Togekiss and the Rotoms are Choiced is invaluable information.
Body Press paired with maximum Defense gives Kommo-o surprising offensive presence for a Pokemon with just one move and significant defensive investment. Although the lack of any coverage move seems like a weakness to this set, the other Pokemon on this team generally handle switch-ins to Body Press very well.
Taunt prevents any setup from opposing defensive Pokemon. In particular, Kommo-o hard-counters Mandibuzz, Ferrothorn (especially if you are Bulletproof), Tyranitar, and Sylveon (in most cases).
252 Defense EVs and a Bold nature allow for the strongest Body Press while maximizing physical defense, allowing Kommo-o to take repeated hits from Excadrill, Bisharp, and Gyarados (just Protect on Bounce). 176 Speed EVs allow Kommo-o to outspeed Dracozolt, a major threat to this team; Kommo-o can Body Press to break its Substitute and is not 1HKO’d by Dragon Claw. The remaining EVs go into HP, allowing Kommo-o to also take weaker special attacks such as Volt Switch.
Soundproof is an excellent ability that gives Kommo-o several niche benefits, allowing it to:
counter non-Moonblast Sylveon;
discourage Toxtricity from clicking Overdrive (or Boomburst);
dodge Screech from Dugtrio and Clanging Scales from opposing Kommo-o; and
deny momentum from users of Parting Shot.
However, Bulletproof has some viability as well, allowing Kommo-o to:
dodge Gyro Ball from Ferrothorn and therefore counter it even harder
switch freely into Pokemon Choice-locked into Shadow Ball (although Snorlax does this too) and Sludge Bomb
somewhat safely Taunt most variants of Aegislash (although you cannot hit it back)
Overall, I would recommend Soundproof.
Hatterene shines on this team as the only representative of Gen 8, repeatedly bouncing back hazards and status from Pokemon such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, Seismitoad, and Hippowdon; alongside Snorlax’s immunity to Night Shade and Kommo-o’s Taunt, Hatterene also invalidates opposing Galarian Corsola.
Psychic is Hatterene’s STAB move, dealing decent damage even without investment thanks to a strong base 136 Special Attack stat. It is especially useful to dent Rotom-Heat, who otherwise can freely switch into this set’s other moves.
Nuzzle is actually an essential move on this set, allowing Hatterene to spread paralysis to many common switch-ins such as Clefable, Corviknight, opposing Hatterene, and Tyranitar; in my experience with this team, these opposing Pokemon get paralyzed by Nuzzle almost every single match. In particular, this usually prevents Bulk Up Corviknight and Calm Mind Hatterene from gaining enough momentum to sweep. Keep in mind that Hatterene is still slower than some offensive Pokemon after Nuzzle.
Protect, like on Kommo-o, allows Hatterene to scout against potential Choice-locked threats such as Dragapult, Togekiss, and the Rotom forms. As Hatterene lacks reliable recovery, the little bit from Leftovers can make all the difference; in particular, Hatterene will live two Earthquakes from Conkeldurr after one Protect and KO back with Psychic. Thanks to the user chimp for the suggestion!
Another option in this slot is Giga Drain, a mediocre form of healing for Hatterene with the distinct role of punishing Seismitoad, Gastrodon, and Quagsire (who is even 1HKO’d); if these Pokemon attempt to chip away at Hatterene to free hazard moves and status later, Giga Drain quickly turns the tides. It also keeps Hatterene relatively healthy against Dugtrio, who cannot 1HKO with Earthquake even after Screech.
Mystical Fire is another mediocre coverage move, almost exclusively for Steel-type Pokemon: Aegislash, Bisharp, Corviknight, Excadrill, and Ferrothorn. In particular, Ferrothorn is hard-countered by Hatterene even more than by Kommo-o, so Hatterene should always be the primary switch-in to prevent Spikes or Stealth Rocks.
Max HP and max Defense EVs allow Hatterene to best counter some of OU’s premier defensive Pokemon. 0 Speed IVs, 0 Speed EVs and a Relaxed nature is used to make Hatterene as slow as possible, drastically reducing the effectiveness of Ferrothorn’s Gyro Ball (17-20.8%) and improving Hatterene’s matchup against Trick Room.
However, minimum speed prevents Hatterene from outspeeding paralyzed Corviknight and Clefable, which may occasionally be useful, so 31 Speed IVs and a Bold nature is also viable.
Vaporeon is the glue of the team, providing Wish support and a crucial Water immunity. It is also an excellent complementary physical wall, as it can handle different offensive threats when compared to Kommo-o and Hatterene.
Wish-passing is an absolutely vital component of the team’s survival against offense, as no other Pokemon besides Snorlax has reliable recovery. Vaporeon frequently finds opportunities to pass wishes thanks to the many unique resistances and immunities between its teammates.
Protect, naturally, allows Vaporeon to heal itself with Wish and scout against Choice-locked Pokemon. Between Kommo-o and Vaporeon’s Protect, the opponent’s movesets are usually uncovered relatively early in the match.
Haze is key to preventing setup from specific Pokemon such as Corviknight, Aegislash, and some variants of Gyarados. This team, however, does have some other stops to setup sweepers. If you predict a counter-sweep with Choice Scarf Ditto, for example against Swords Dance Excadrill, it may be better to let the opponent set up. Aegislash can also usually threaten a counter-sweep against Bulk Up Corviknight unless it has Power Trip, so hard-switching into Aegislash can be the better play after scouting. Finally, Snorlax is beefy enough to handle most Calm Mind sweepers by itself.
Another viable option in this slot is Charm, which specifically bolsters the team’s ability to handle one massive threat, Conkeldurr; it is a frequent switch into Vaporeon as it does not fear Scald burns. Without Charm, Conkeldurr is a menace to this team, requiring careful switching to chip away at its HP while minimizing Drain Punch recovery. Charm also allows Vaporeon to defeat Bulk Up users faster than Haze would.
Scald gives Vaporeon some offensive presence and discourages reckless switch-ins to Vaporeon. Threatening physical attackers, especially Corviknight and Aegislash, are suddenly no longer a threat after a burn. Although difficult to pull off, opposing Corviknight is much easier to handle when burned rather than paralyzed. Like Haze, use this move with thought; giving back HP from Water Absorb or increasing Special Attack from Storm Drain often hurts in the long run.
The EVs are a little strange on this set but serve a specific purpose: to always beat Corviknight, one of the most threatening Pokemon in OU. To counter the most common Bulk Up Corviknight set, 112 Speed EVs lets Vaporeon always outspeed, and 80 Special Attack EVs with a Modest nature always lets Vaporeon break Corviknight’s Substitute with Scald (25-29.5%). 172 HP EVs and 144 Defense EVs increase Vaporeon’s physical bulk when compared to 248 HP + 68 Def; however, this comes at the cost of slightly smaller Wishes.
Snorlax is a fearsome wall, invalidating almost every special attacker in the game barring users of Psyshock. Unlike the former leaders in Chansey and Blissey (who got Thanos snapped into the aether), Snorlax also has good offensive presence and the ability to sweep late-game.
Body Slam, like Nuzzle from Hatterene, spreads paralysis and effectively prevents late-game sweeps. It is also a pretty strong STAB move; Snorlax can notably 3HKO and outspeed a paralyzed Clefable, putting the opponent in a terrible situation following a full paralysis.
Darkest Lariat is a phenomenal coverage move that lets Snorlax punish Ghost- and Psychic- type switch-ins. Its excellent secondary effect also allows Curse Snorlax to beat Bulk Up and Iron Defense users one-on-one.
Rest is what makes Snorlax such an impenetrable beast of a Pokemon in this generation, allowing it to hard-counter so many prominent special attackers, including: Clefable, Hatterene, special Dragapult (scout!), Sylveon, and non-Tricking Rotom forms. Snorlax can also handle Nasty Plot Hydreigon and Togekiss to an extent; Ditto threatens a counter-sweep if Snorlax gets flinched down. Rest Snorlax does not necessarily beat Toxtricity one-on-one, but you should have Kommo-o to dodge Overdrive and Aegislash to dodge Sludge Wave.
Curse further expands the gargantuan presence of Snorlax. At +1, Snorlax 2HKOs Clefable and Cinderace with Body Slam, placing immediate pressure on the enemy team. As mentioned, Darkest Lariat can muscle past most Bulk Up and Iron Defense users after a few boosts; just be wary of Taunt and Haze.
184 HP EVs and 252 Special Defense EVs with a Careful nature nearly maximize Snorlax’s special bulk, giving Hydreigon’s +2 Dark Pulse only a 37.8% chance to 3HKO. The 72 Defense Defense EVs ensure that Snorlax at +1 can live a Drain Punch from Conkeldurr after a little chip damage and retaliate with roughly 50% (47.5-55.1% after burn).
With Galarian Darmanitan being Thanos snapped into the aether (good riddance), Snorlax is now free to run Immunity, preventing early Rests after being Toxic-ed.
Of note, Snorlax is at least partially capable of hard-countering every variant of Dragapult. If you suspect that Dragapult is running:
Substitute + Disable, just hard switch in and do anything; this variant of Dragapult essentially stalemates against Snorlax.
Choice Specs, hard switch in, although you may lose some momentum to U-turn.
Dragon Dance, then, after confirming this set through scouting, switch repeatedly between Hatterene on Dragon Darts and Snorlax on the second turn of Phantom Force; this variant of Dragapult will only heal your Pokemon indirectly through Leftovers unless there are hazards on your side of the field.
Aegislash is an extremely versatile Pokemon that I have turned into a surprise sweeper that can catch most balance teams unprepared.
Swords Dance transforms Aegislash into an immediate threat after just one turn. Frequently, Aegislash can Swords Dance as it forces a switch into a typical counter, and, in Shield-Forme and at full health, can Swords Dance again and survive one hit.
For example, Aegislash can switch into non-Power Trip Bulk Up Corviknight, sponge a Brave Bird, and Swords Dance as the opponent switches into Seismitoad. Aegislash can then Swords Dance again, guaranteeing the 1HKO next turn with Shadow Claw at +4.
Shadow Claw is Aegislash’s strongest STAB move against the multitude of Water-types in the tier. It 1HKO’s nearly all unresisted Pokemon at +4.
Sacred Sword allows Aegislash to punish Dark- and Normal-type switch-ins, further easing a sweep late-game. Like Darkest Lariat, it also ignores any Defense boosts from the opposing Pokemon, meaning that this Aegislash can beat Bulk Up Corviknight one-on-one unless it has Taunt.
Shadow Sneak is the necessary priority on the team, and bolsters Aegislash’s ability to sweep weakened teams. For example, at +4, Shadow Sneak 1HKOs Toxtricity from full and Dracovish after 2 switches into Stealth Rock.
Although it seems strange to invest heavily in Speed on a slower Pokemon, this Aegislash runs 152 Speed EVs in order to outspeed Pokemon such as Corviknight, Seismitoad, and Clefable, and other average-speed Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed and knock out Aegislash in Blade-Forme. Max Attack EVs with an Adamant nature maximize Aegislash’s damage output, and the remaining 104 EVs go into HP to give Aegislash good bulk before attacking. While the passive recovery from Leftovers would be nice, Lum Berry is used instead to ensure that Aegislash can safely set up on Scald users.
Finally, Ditto is a crutch Pokemon for this teaming, providing not only an emergency check to setup sweepers but also an infinitely versatile scouting tool.
Importantly, Ditto can switch freely into Togekiss and the Rotom forms, nullifying a potential Trick (or Will ‘o’ Wisp against Rotom-Heat) and revealing their movesets at the same time. If Togekiss uses Nasty Plot on the Ditto switch, then sacrifice Hatterene and send Ditto back in for a counter-sweep. If Rotom-Heat uses Nasty Plot, then Volt Switch into Snorlax.
Ideally, Ditto should be switched into Corviknight once to scout its moves. Sub + Bulk Up + Brave Bird is beaten handily by Aegislash, and Taunt + Bulk Up or any defensive set can be counter-Taunted by Ditto and neutralized by Vaporeon.
Threatlist:
Three major threats stand out to this team:
Dracozolt is essentially guaranteed at least one kill per match, so long as it hits its moves. Although Kommo-o can survive one Dragon Claw, it does not KO back with Body Press even after two Substitutes (after two turns of Leftovers; 47.6 - 56.3%). It can switch in on Hatterene and Snorlax, not fearing paralysis and being bulky enough to survive STAB attacks, and it is highly risky to hard-switch Ditto in.
Conkeldurr can punch major holes through the team if Vaporeon does not have Charm. On top of not fearing status and regenerating massive amounts of HP with its Guts-boosted Drain Punch, Conkeldurr also has an extremely powerful Earthquake to decimate Aegislash and heavily dent Hatterene (44.4-52.6%). Your best bet is using Protect with Kommo-o to drain a little HP every turn, but hard-switching into Aegislash on Drain Punch is too risky.
It is for this reason that I have been using Charm on my Vaporeon, even though I acknowledge that Haze may be a more versatile and overall better option.
Lead Excadrill guarantees Stealth Rocks thanks to Mold Breaker and its high speed, evading Hatterene and Taunt from Kommo-o. Thanks to Focus Sash + Rapid Spin, it essentially prevents Stealth Rocks on the opponents’ side as well; switching into Aegislash on Rapid Spin is also too risky and Ditto cannot counter-lead against Focus Sash.
That's all I have for now. I look forward to any suggestions to improve the team, and I hope you try it out!
Kommo-o @ Leftovers
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Def / 176 Spe
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Body Press
- Protect
- Taunt
Hatterene (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Psychic
- Nuzzle
- Giga Drain
- Mystical Fire
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 172 HP / 144 Def / 80 SpA / 112 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Charm
- Scald
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 184 HP / 72 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Body Slam
- Darkest Lariat
- Rest
- Curse
Aegislash @ Lum Berry
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak
Ditto @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Transform
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Def / 176 Spe
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Body Press
- Protect
- Taunt
Hatterene (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Psychic
- Nuzzle
- Giga Drain
- Mystical Fire
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 172 HP / 144 Def / 80 SpA / 112 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Charm
- Scald
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 184 HP / 72 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Body Slam
- Darkest Lariat
- Rest
- Curse
Aegislash @ Lum Berry
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak
Ditto @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Transform
Kommo-o is a super fun choice for a Stealth Rock setter (thank you unknown PS user!) that can handle some key meta OU threats.
Stealth Rock is the only entry hazard featured on this team, chipping away at opposing Pokemon as they are forced to switch around. However, getting Stealth Rock up is less universally necessary in this generation, with Heavy-Duty Boots, Court Change Cinderace, Magic Bounce Hatterene, and Magic Guard Clefable being OU staples. Spamming Stealth Rock against Court Change will eventually get Rocks on both sides of the field, if it is worth it to do so.
Protect is extremely useful on this set, allowing it to scout against offensive Pokemon such as Dragapult, Togekiss, Dracovish, and the Rotoms; learning whether Togekiss and the Rotoms are Choiced is invaluable information.
Body Press paired with maximum Defense gives Kommo-o surprising offensive presence for a Pokemon with just one move and significant defensive investment. Although the lack of any coverage move seems like a weakness to this set, the other Pokemon on this team generally handle switch-ins to Body Press very well.
Taunt prevents any setup from opposing defensive Pokemon. In particular, Kommo-o hard-counters Mandibuzz, Ferrothorn (especially if you are Bulletproof), Tyranitar, and Sylveon (in most cases).
252 Defense EVs and a Bold nature allow for the strongest Body Press while maximizing physical defense, allowing Kommo-o to take repeated hits from Excadrill, Bisharp, and Gyarados (just Protect on Bounce). 176 Speed EVs allow Kommo-o to outspeed Dracozolt, a major threat to this team; Kommo-o can Body Press to break its Substitute and is not 1HKO’d by Dragon Claw. The remaining EVs go into HP, allowing Kommo-o to also take weaker special attacks such as Volt Switch.
Soundproof is an excellent ability that gives Kommo-o several niche benefits, allowing it to:
counter non-Moonblast Sylveon;
discourage Toxtricity from clicking Overdrive (or Boomburst);
dodge Screech from Dugtrio and Clanging Scales from opposing Kommo-o; and
deny momentum from users of Parting Shot.
However, Bulletproof has some viability as well, allowing Kommo-o to:
dodge Gyro Ball from Ferrothorn and therefore counter it even harder
switch freely into Pokemon Choice-locked into Shadow Ball (although Snorlax does this too) and Sludge Bomb
somewhat safely Taunt most variants of Aegislash (although you cannot hit it back)
Overall, I would recommend Soundproof.
Hatterene shines on this team as the only representative of Gen 8, repeatedly bouncing back hazards and status from Pokemon such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, Seismitoad, and Hippowdon; alongside Snorlax’s immunity to Night Shade and Kommo-o’s Taunt, Hatterene also invalidates opposing Galarian Corsola.
Psychic is Hatterene’s STAB move, dealing decent damage even without investment thanks to a strong base 136 Special Attack stat. It is especially useful to dent Rotom-Heat, who otherwise can freely switch into this set’s other moves.
Nuzzle is actually an essential move on this set, allowing Hatterene to spread paralysis to many common switch-ins such as Clefable, Corviknight, opposing Hatterene, and Tyranitar; in my experience with this team, these opposing Pokemon get paralyzed by Nuzzle almost every single match. In particular, this usually prevents Bulk Up Corviknight and Calm Mind Hatterene from gaining enough momentum to sweep. Keep in mind that Hatterene is still slower than some offensive Pokemon after Nuzzle.
Protect, like on Kommo-o, allows Hatterene to scout against potential Choice-locked threats such as Dragapult, Togekiss, and the Rotom forms. As Hatterene lacks reliable recovery, the little bit from Leftovers can make all the difference; in particular, Hatterene will live two Earthquakes from Conkeldurr after one Protect and KO back with Psychic. Thanks to the user chimp for the suggestion!
Another option in this slot is Giga Drain, a mediocre form of healing for Hatterene with the distinct role of punishing Seismitoad, Gastrodon, and Quagsire (who is even 1HKO’d); if these Pokemon attempt to chip away at Hatterene to free hazard moves and status later, Giga Drain quickly turns the tides. It also keeps Hatterene relatively healthy against Dugtrio, who cannot 1HKO with Earthquake even after Screech.
Mystical Fire is another mediocre coverage move, almost exclusively for Steel-type Pokemon: Aegislash, Bisharp, Corviknight, Excadrill, and Ferrothorn. In particular, Ferrothorn is hard-countered by Hatterene even more than by Kommo-o, so Hatterene should always be the primary switch-in to prevent Spikes or Stealth Rocks.
Max HP and max Defense EVs allow Hatterene to best counter some of OU’s premier defensive Pokemon. 0 Speed IVs, 0 Speed EVs and a Relaxed nature is used to make Hatterene as slow as possible, drastically reducing the effectiveness of Ferrothorn’s Gyro Ball (17-20.8%) and improving Hatterene’s matchup against Trick Room.
However, minimum speed prevents Hatterene from outspeeding paralyzed Corviknight and Clefable, which may occasionally be useful, so 31 Speed IVs and a Bold nature is also viable.
Vaporeon is the glue of the team, providing Wish support and a crucial Water immunity. It is also an excellent complementary physical wall, as it can handle different offensive threats when compared to Kommo-o and Hatterene.
Wish-passing is an absolutely vital component of the team’s survival against offense, as no other Pokemon besides Snorlax has reliable recovery. Vaporeon frequently finds opportunities to pass wishes thanks to the many unique resistances and immunities between its teammates.
Protect, naturally, allows Vaporeon to heal itself with Wish and scout against Choice-locked Pokemon. Between Kommo-o and Vaporeon’s Protect, the opponent’s movesets are usually uncovered relatively early in the match.
Haze is key to preventing setup from specific Pokemon such as Corviknight, Aegislash, and some variants of Gyarados. This team, however, does have some other stops to setup sweepers. If you predict a counter-sweep with Choice Scarf Ditto, for example against Swords Dance Excadrill, it may be better to let the opponent set up. Aegislash can also usually threaten a counter-sweep against Bulk Up Corviknight unless it has Power Trip, so hard-switching into Aegislash can be the better play after scouting. Finally, Snorlax is beefy enough to handle most Calm Mind sweepers by itself.
Another viable option in this slot is Charm, which specifically bolsters the team’s ability to handle one massive threat, Conkeldurr; it is a frequent switch into Vaporeon as it does not fear Scald burns. Without Charm, Conkeldurr is a menace to this team, requiring careful switching to chip away at its HP while minimizing Drain Punch recovery. Charm also allows Vaporeon to defeat Bulk Up users faster than Haze would.
Scald gives Vaporeon some offensive presence and discourages reckless switch-ins to Vaporeon. Threatening physical attackers, especially Corviknight and Aegislash, are suddenly no longer a threat after a burn. Although difficult to pull off, opposing Corviknight is much easier to handle when burned rather than paralyzed. Like Haze, use this move with thought; giving back HP from Water Absorb or increasing Special Attack from Storm Drain often hurts in the long run.
The EVs are a little strange on this set but serve a specific purpose: to always beat Corviknight, one of the most threatening Pokemon in OU. To counter the most common Bulk Up Corviknight set, 112 Speed EVs lets Vaporeon always outspeed, and 80 Special Attack EVs with a Modest nature always lets Vaporeon break Corviknight’s Substitute with Scald (25-29.5%). 172 HP EVs and 144 Defense EVs increase Vaporeon’s physical bulk when compared to 248 HP + 68 Def; however, this comes at the cost of slightly smaller Wishes.
Snorlax is a fearsome wall, invalidating almost every special attacker in the game barring users of Psyshock. Unlike the former leaders in Chansey and Blissey (who got Thanos snapped into the aether), Snorlax also has good offensive presence and the ability to sweep late-game.
Body Slam, like Nuzzle from Hatterene, spreads paralysis and effectively prevents late-game sweeps. It is also a pretty strong STAB move; Snorlax can notably 3HKO and outspeed a paralyzed Clefable, putting the opponent in a terrible situation following a full paralysis.
Darkest Lariat is a phenomenal coverage move that lets Snorlax punish Ghost- and Psychic- type switch-ins. Its excellent secondary effect also allows Curse Snorlax to beat Bulk Up and Iron Defense users one-on-one.
Rest is what makes Snorlax such an impenetrable beast of a Pokemon in this generation, allowing it to hard-counter so many prominent special attackers, including: Clefable, Hatterene, special Dragapult (scout!), Sylveon, and non-Tricking Rotom forms. Snorlax can also handle Nasty Plot Hydreigon and Togekiss to an extent; Ditto threatens a counter-sweep if Snorlax gets flinched down. Rest Snorlax does not necessarily beat Toxtricity one-on-one, but you should have Kommo-o to dodge Overdrive and Aegislash to dodge Sludge Wave.
Curse further expands the gargantuan presence of Snorlax. At +1, Snorlax 2HKOs Clefable and Cinderace with Body Slam, placing immediate pressure on the enemy team. As mentioned, Darkest Lariat can muscle past most Bulk Up and Iron Defense users after a few boosts; just be wary of Taunt and Haze.
184 HP EVs and 252 Special Defense EVs with a Careful nature nearly maximize Snorlax’s special bulk, giving Hydreigon’s +2 Dark Pulse only a 37.8% chance to 3HKO. The 72 Defense Defense EVs ensure that Snorlax at +1 can live a Drain Punch from Conkeldurr after a little chip damage and retaliate with roughly 50% (47.5-55.1% after burn).
With Galarian Darmanitan being Thanos snapped into the aether (good riddance), Snorlax is now free to run Immunity, preventing early Rests after being Toxic-ed.
Of note, Snorlax is at least partially capable of hard-countering every variant of Dragapult. If you suspect that Dragapult is running:
Substitute + Disable, just hard switch in and do anything; this variant of Dragapult essentially stalemates against Snorlax.
Choice Specs, hard switch in, although you may lose some momentum to U-turn.
Dragon Dance, then, after confirming this set through scouting, switch repeatedly between Hatterene on Dragon Darts and Snorlax on the second turn of Phantom Force; this variant of Dragapult will only heal your Pokemon indirectly through Leftovers unless there are hazards on your side of the field.
Aegislash is an extremely versatile Pokemon that I have turned into a surprise sweeper that can catch most balance teams unprepared.
Swords Dance transforms Aegislash into an immediate threat after just one turn. Frequently, Aegislash can Swords Dance as it forces a switch into a typical counter, and, in Shield-Forme and at full health, can Swords Dance again and survive one hit.
For example, Aegislash can switch into non-Power Trip Bulk Up Corviknight, sponge a Brave Bird, and Swords Dance as the opponent switches into Seismitoad. Aegislash can then Swords Dance again, guaranteeing the 1HKO next turn with Shadow Claw at +4.
Shadow Claw is Aegislash’s strongest STAB move against the multitude of Water-types in the tier. It 1HKO’s nearly all unresisted Pokemon at +4.
Sacred Sword allows Aegislash to punish Dark- and Normal-type switch-ins, further easing a sweep late-game. Like Darkest Lariat, it also ignores any Defense boosts from the opposing Pokemon, meaning that this Aegislash can beat Bulk Up Corviknight one-on-one unless it has Taunt.
Shadow Sneak is the necessary priority on the team, and bolsters Aegislash’s ability to sweep weakened teams. For example, at +4, Shadow Sneak 1HKOs Toxtricity from full and Dracovish after 2 switches into Stealth Rock.
Although it seems strange to invest heavily in Speed on a slower Pokemon, this Aegislash runs 152 Speed EVs in order to outspeed Pokemon such as Corviknight, Seismitoad, and Clefable, and other average-speed Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed and knock out Aegislash in Blade-Forme. Max Attack EVs with an Adamant nature maximize Aegislash’s damage output, and the remaining 104 EVs go into HP to give Aegislash good bulk before attacking. While the passive recovery from Leftovers would be nice, Lum Berry is used instead to ensure that Aegislash can safely set up on Scald users.
Finally, Ditto is a crutch Pokemon for this teaming, providing not only an emergency check to setup sweepers but also an infinitely versatile scouting tool.
Importantly, Ditto can switch freely into Togekiss and the Rotom forms, nullifying a potential Trick (or Will ‘o’ Wisp against Rotom-Heat) and revealing their movesets at the same time. If Togekiss uses Nasty Plot on the Ditto switch, then sacrifice Hatterene and send Ditto back in for a counter-sweep. If Rotom-Heat uses Nasty Plot, then Volt Switch into Snorlax.
Ideally, Ditto should be switched into Corviknight once to scout its moves. Sub + Bulk Up + Brave Bird is beaten handily by Aegislash, and Taunt + Bulk Up or any defensive set can be counter-Taunted by Ditto and neutralized by Vaporeon.
Threatlist:
Three major threats stand out to this team:
Dracozolt is essentially guaranteed at least one kill per match, so long as it hits its moves. Although Kommo-o can survive one Dragon Claw, it does not KO back with Body Press even after two Substitutes (after two turns of Leftovers; 47.6 - 56.3%). It can switch in on Hatterene and Snorlax, not fearing paralysis and being bulky enough to survive STAB attacks, and it is highly risky to hard-switch Ditto in.
Conkeldurr can punch major holes through the team if Vaporeon does not have Charm. On top of not fearing status and regenerating massive amounts of HP with its Guts-boosted Drain Punch, Conkeldurr also has an extremely powerful Earthquake to decimate Aegislash and heavily dent Hatterene (44.4-52.6%). Your best bet is using Protect with Kommo-o to drain a little HP every turn, but hard-switching into Aegislash on Drain Punch is too risky.
It is for this reason that I have been using Charm on my Vaporeon, even though I acknowledge that Haze may be a more versatile and overall better option.
Lead Excadrill guarantees Stealth Rocks thanks to Mold Breaker and its high speed, evading Hatterene and Taunt from Kommo-o. Thanks to Focus Sash + Rapid Spin, it essentially prevents Stealth Rocks on the opponents’ side as well; switching into Aegislash on Rapid Spin is also too risky and Ditto cannot counter-lead against Focus Sash.
That's all I have for now. I look forward to any suggestions to improve the team, and I hope you try it out!
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