ORAS Doubles OU Mega Gardevoir/Deoxys-A offense (currently #6 at 1720)

[Chrus is nub]

Introduction​

I initially created this team for a Doubles OU tournament, and honestly, not a lot of synergy thought went into building this. I combined some of the higher viability Pokémon, and (call me stubborn) Deoxys-A, because I simply love the power it has, and it's allowed in Doubles :D

Teambuilding Process​

Hide

I started off by picking Aegislash. It's almost sad to say, but it's the first Pokémon I found in the top tier of the viability rankings, and I know from some experience in the Random Doubles format that having a Pokémon with Wide Guard is very useful. There's very little more to it, I wanted a Wide Guard user.

Ahh, Deoxys-A. Just look at its wonderful offensive stats, and you'll see why I love this thing so much. It outspeeds lots of things and hits HARD. It appreciates almost every team member as a partner, whether it's Aegislash for its use of Wide Guard, or Amoonguss for its use of Rage Powder.

Guess what, the second Pokémon on the top tier list of viability rankings. Its uses are simple: Rage Powder to draw attacks away from team members, and Spore to put things to sleep. No Sleep Clause means you can spam Spore as long as nothing threatens you, and Rage Powder to redirect attacks to keep Deoxys alive is always nice.

At this point I wanted to pick a Mega evolution for the team. Every time I got this in Random Battles (singles) I already admired its power, and spamming Hyper Voice in Doubles just sounded like too much fun to not go for it. Also, it's in the top tier of viability rankings.

Since Gardevoir lacks the speed to outspeed certain common Pokémon, and Choice Scarfed Pokémon, I wanted to have a Pokémon that not only has offensive pressure, but is also able to set up Tailwind. With priority Brave Bird and priority Tailwind, Talonflame seemed like exactly what I need.

The last Pokémon I added was going to have to be my Choice Scarf Pokémon. I like having at least one possible revenge killer on each team, and Choice Scarf Landorus-T was not only great with a Scarf, but the Intimidate seemed like a nice idea to deal with a lot of common leads, like Mega-Kangaskhan. And just for a change, this Pokémon is also on the tier 1 list of the viability rankings :>

The Team​

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
- King's Shield
​

Straight from the Smogon Analysis, I saw no reason to change the moveset. King's Shield because Protect is extremely useful in Doubles, and Wide Guard to prevent Earthquake, Rock Slide (for Talonflame), Heat Wave/Eruption, Hyper Voice, you name it, from hitting. Wide Guard has won me many games, by letting the opponent waste a turn and letting Aegislash's partner KO the threats. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are there for STAB, and especially after a Weakness Policy boost (which is not hard to pull off when in Shield Forme), Aegislash does a lot of damage. After an attack the mindgames start, but staying in Blade Forme for another attack (or a Wide Guard) is often unexpected, yet offers a lot of momentum.

Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Psycho Boost
- Superpower
- Extreme Speed
- Protect
​

Deoxys-A is, like I said, a major powerhouse, but sadly has the bulk of a piece of paper in a hurricane. It of course ends up being targeted quite often, because when you're the most dangerous thing on the field, you're going to be the opponent's top priority to get rid of. Focus Sash makes sure it does not get sent to an early grave by any priority move, and Protect does pretty much the same thing. Psycho Boost and Superpower seem fairly obvious, with especially Psycho Boost killing the majority of Pokémon not resisting it (for example, Choice Scarf Adamant Landorus-T gets outsped and OHKO'd), and Extreme Speed is mostly to avoid stat drops when I know I can kill something, yet it's also useful to beat predicted Sucker Punches, although I'll usually end up using Rage Powder on Amoonguss or switching out in such cases.

Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Protect
​

Amoonguss is the lightningrod in this team that will help the more frail Pokémon, Deoxys-A and Talonflame, avoid a hit. It is also the most important answer to opposing Trick Room teams, being able to outspeed and Spore almost everything in Trick Room. Protect, once again, because switching in Doubles is by far not as viable as in Singles, and more often you'll end up protecting the threatened Pokémon and attacking whatever is threatening it with the partner. This, in conjunction with Rage Powder, also leads to some mindgames. If you Rage Powder on one turn, the opponent will often use amove that can hit Amoonguss on the next turn, anticipating yet another Rage Powder. Protect then increases Amoongus' longevity. The Rocky Helmet is particularly nice against Mega Kangaskhan's Fake Out (which it eats like it's nothing) and priority moves (which it often takes with Rage Powder to protect Deoxys-A for example). Especially since Aegislash can't KO much, the small damage from the Rocky Helmet helps more then Black Sludge, and if Amoonguss is really an important Pokémon in a certain matchup, it also has Regenerator it can rely on. Giga Drain is there for some small damage, which sometimes helps. although Amoonguss will spend most of its time as a lightningrod and as sleep inducer.

Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Protect
​

The Mega-evolution of the team. It has insane power, and Hyper Voice hitting both opponents is just lovely. With some chip damage from Aegislash, Amoongus' Rocky Helmet, Landorus, or even on bulky Pokémon Deoxys-A, Hyper Voice allows it to clean up late-game, or severely weaken threats to the team early-game. It functions well outside of Tailwind, although it certainly appreciates the extra speed. Protect is again almost mandatory on a non-Choice Pokémon, and allows it to gain its stat boost from Mega-evolving without any danger, while also, for example, getting the Tailwind boost from Talonflame when they're both on the field. Psychic as additional STAB, also to deal with opposing Wide Guard users (if Fighting type), Focus Blast for coverage (also useful against opposing WIde Guard users if Rock/Steel).

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Protect
​

This thing usually scares opposing Pokémon with priority Brave Bird, it scares Ferrothorn with Flare Blitz, while also being able to provide the Tailwind support the team occasionally needs. Protect is there to be able to stay in against, for example, opposing Landorus-T, while switching its partner to Aegislash for Wide Guard, or just to prevent being hit by Fake Out, as Talonflame is often one of the leads of the team. When used as a lead, considering it has Life Orb, recoil moves, and no recovery, I usually set up Tailwind early in the match and get Gardevoir out quickly to deal heavy damage, so the rest of the team can finish off the rest. If Talonflame is not my lead (for example, leading with Landorus-T and Amoonguss), I also tend to save Gardevoir so it can get the Tailwind support it loves.

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower
​

Choice Scarfed Landorus-T provides two important things to the team: Intimidate, and a Choice SCarf users. This makes it a valuable lead in a lot of matchups, especially with the ability to U-turn out and scout the opponent. Outspeeding Greninja and OHKOing it with U-turn is a nice surprise for the opponent, while Earthquake and Rock Slide for coverage and chip damage is essential to deal with, for example, opposing Talonflame/Heatran/Charizard, and for allowing Gardevoir to clean up. Superpower does not quite OHKO Heatran or Mega-Kangaskhan, but does provide such a large amount of damage that basically everything else on the team can finish the job. Even Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice can finish off Heatran after it has taken a Superpower from Landorus.

Conclusion​

While everything on the team was mostly placed there with an individual job, the synergy turned out to be great. Deoxys-A and Mega Gardevoir put a lot of offensive pressure on the opponent, Aegislash and Amoonguss provide the necessary support for the two as partners, while Landorus and Talonflame serve as great support Pokémon while setting up an opportunity for my two Psychic powerhouses.
Threats to the team I have enoucntered are, ironically, teams that look very similar.
For example, opposing Deoxys-A can OHKO my own Choice Scarfed Landorus, Amoonguss, Talonflame with Psycho Boost, Deoxys-A with Extreme Speed, and even on Gardevoir the Extreme Speed is a clean 2HKO. The only check to it is Aegislash, and sacrificing my own Deoxys-A's Sash while also using Brave Bird with Talonflame, for example.
Opposing Aegislash are only hit by my own Aegislash or Landorus, but if they run Wide Guard, I have to hope I lose the speed tie so I can hit their Blade Forme, or try to put them to sleep with Amoonguss.
Opposing Amoonguss can be dealt with by Talonflame and Deoxys-A, but if those two aren't on the field, I have to rely on prediction/luck to determine which of my Pokémon he'll target with Spore, and Protect with them. Worst case scenario is having Amoonguss on the field, unable to Rage Powder the opposing Amoonguss, and Landorus, unable to protect, switching out to something that will get put to sleep.

My final conclusion would be that this team, while being offense-oriented, and thus relying on Protect more than on bulk to deal with attacks, is extremely fun to use, and a lot more succesful than I thought.
I'm curious to see what you guys think about it. Have I missed any obvious threats? Or are perhaps any of the EV spreads outdated? If anyone decides to test this team, what kind of flaws did you run into? Or if anyone has used a similar team, did your teammates deal with certain threats better?

Importable

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
- King's Shield

Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Psycho Boost
- Superpower
- Extreme Speed
- Protect

Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Protect

Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Protect

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Protect

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower

 

[Yellow Paint]

Hey there, and welcome to smogon! Nice to see randdubs actually bringing people into dou.

Alright, you've built off the VR and looked at the analyses so none of your sets/mons are wrong on their own and it's definitely usable on ladder. I can still come up with a few suggestions though.

Have you tried knock off>espeed deo? It helps against aegi, which none of your mons can get a guaranteed kill on. Also, it can ko latios and can remove annoying items like lando's vest and wash sitrus.

Having amoong/garde/deo is just asking to lose to follow me jirachi as well as other steels like heatran and aegislash. Since it looks like garde and deo are the mons you wanted to support, drop amoonguss. Instead, try out keldeo, which greatly improves the kang/steel/lando matchup and can support deo/garde with quick guard. If you add keld, do the following:

Consider modest garde, the 100 base speed tier isn't very competitive anymore and you honestly might prefer the extra damage. After adding keld, outspeeding vest lando and kang isn't as important because you can now check them offensively.

Use safety goggles>weakness policy on aegi. Even now, you seem to have trouble switching in on sleep. After losing amoonguss, it'll only get worse so you definitely need a proper sleep switch.

Try out assault vest lando. Very similar set, just jolly with stone edge>slide. Vest lando is a more reliable check against zard and diancie because of the added bulk. Also, being able to switch moves makes having only one other levitator much less awkward, so you can eq with a lower penalty for misprediction.

Once again, it's a decent team, I'm just suggesting a few tweaks to try out. Cheers!