This team is a well rounded balance team, and I'd appreciate any feedback.
Tapu Fini @ Assault Vest
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Nature's Madness
- Ice Beam
- Moonblast
- Brine
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Wave
- Fire Blast
Pheromosa @ Protective Pads
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Triple Axel
- Close Combat
- Drill Run
Urshifu @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab
- Wicked Blow
- Close Combat
Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Court Change
- Pyro Ball
- Gunk Shot
- High Jump Kick
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 132 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Scale Shot
- Fire Fang
- Swords Dance
The most unique member of the team I believe is the assault vest Tapu Fini. While it seems a bit strange to have such a bulky monster wear an assault vest, the extra bulk is helpful, letting it survive even crazy attacks such as a nasty plot boosted sludge wave from gengar from full health. Brine also seems like a strange move, however combined with natures madness, even bulky threats like magerna can be worn down and eventually taken down by a powerful finishing brine, so switching in to fini becomes a risky move, and any bulky wall without recovery is subsequently easier to handle, and it deals very well with rain teams.
Nidoking is one of my favorite mons, and it serves its place here by being a powerful wall breaker. Its great coverage scares landorus, electric types, fairies, and grass types, poison types, and even tanky mons like slowbro get chunked by sludge wave on the switch. It pairs well with Fini, covering each others weaknesses and fini weakening threats with NM. It works best switching it in on a pokemon weak to it like tapu koko or ferrothorn, and taking advantage by predicting a switch to something like landorus or slowbro, that way you can easily take out major threats to the team.
Pheromosa is fairly straight forward, being a powerful and fast sweeper. Choice band is also a good option for the insane power, but protective pads protect it from moltres and zapdos' abilities, since they like to switch in to eat its attacks and status it. It also prevents it from being worn down by rocky helmet and other damaging abilities. Choice band is already on urshifu anyways, and pheramosa appreciates having the ability to switch moves, since most players will usually switch around to protect against choice pheromosa anyways. Having its teammates wearing down bulky threats like moltres, zapdos, heatran, tapu fini, hippowdon, landorus, nidoking and kartana is greatly appreciated as well, as it makes it easier to take them down. It does well in the lead slot, using u-turn to give a switch to a teammate, and possibly getting a free kill. Max speed is there to possibly outspeed any opposing pheromosa, which happens often.
Without defog on the team, the only way to deal with entry hazards is Cinderace, who I have court change on. Most defoggers like tapu fini and corviknight dont want to deal with it's coverage, so while it fears some stealth-rockers landorus and hippowdon, its faster then them, and can pull off a free court change. It also matches well against sticky webbers and screen setter, so it can switch those around as well, which is helpful since most of the team isn't really weak to stealth rocks as much, and nidoking handles toxic spikes. Its power and coverage lets it deal with many threats, and it's a solid pokemon in any team.
Urshifu is mainly here for two reasons, to provide a dark typing for the powerful psychic type moves like slowbros future sight, and to provide powerful priority with sucker punch. This is why I put a choice band rather than a choice scarf, since against mons who rely on speed to sweep, like dragapult, choice kartana, regieleki, and rain barraskewda, a strong priority move to finish them off is very helpful. Its close combat and wicked blow is also useful for wallbreaking as well. Poison Jab is mainly there to punish fairy switches.
Finally Garchomp is both utility and sweeper. The rocky helmet is there to deal massive damage along with rough skin. While triple axil from pheromosa will kill it, the three turn contact with no protective pads will take off nearly half of its health. Garchomp doesnt have to sacrifice itself though. Even without hp investment, it likely can take a solid hit. In the best case scenario, once on the field, it scares out a pokemon like heatran or toxipex, and can safetly setup a swords dance. Afterwards, if they switch to a fairy type, earthquake destroys them. If they switch to something like ferrothorn or corviknight, it can setup scale shot for the speed boost, then destroy it with fire fang. Afterwards garchomp is free to sweep, since after one speed boost it outspeeds even non-scarf pheromosa, regileleki cant touch it, and it can two shot basically everything. once again, garchomp appreciates having the opposing team being worn down, but having a powerful sweeping threat on the team is appreciated.
Overall the team is well balanced, but requires smart plays to deal with things like hard stall and hyper-offence, especially stuff like weather offence.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Tapu Fini @ Assault Vest
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Nature's Madness
- Ice Beam
- Moonblast
- Brine
Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Wave
- Fire Blast
Pheromosa @ Protective Pads
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Triple Axel
- Close Combat
- Drill Run
Urshifu @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab
- Wicked Blow
- Close Combat
Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Court Change
- Pyro Ball
- Gunk Shot
- High Jump Kick
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 132 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Scale Shot
- Fire Fang
- Swords Dance
The most unique member of the team I believe is the assault vest Tapu Fini. While it seems a bit strange to have such a bulky monster wear an assault vest, the extra bulk is helpful, letting it survive even crazy attacks such as a nasty plot boosted sludge wave from gengar from full health. Brine also seems like a strange move, however combined with natures madness, even bulky threats like magerna can be worn down and eventually taken down by a powerful finishing brine, so switching in to fini becomes a risky move, and any bulky wall without recovery is subsequently easier to handle, and it deals very well with rain teams.
Nidoking is one of my favorite mons, and it serves its place here by being a powerful wall breaker. Its great coverage scares landorus, electric types, fairies, and grass types, poison types, and even tanky mons like slowbro get chunked by sludge wave on the switch. It pairs well with Fini, covering each others weaknesses and fini weakening threats with NM. It works best switching it in on a pokemon weak to it like tapu koko or ferrothorn, and taking advantage by predicting a switch to something like landorus or slowbro, that way you can easily take out major threats to the team.
Pheromosa is fairly straight forward, being a powerful and fast sweeper. Choice band is also a good option for the insane power, but protective pads protect it from moltres and zapdos' abilities, since they like to switch in to eat its attacks and status it. It also prevents it from being worn down by rocky helmet and other damaging abilities. Choice band is already on urshifu anyways, and pheramosa appreciates having the ability to switch moves, since most players will usually switch around to protect against choice pheromosa anyways. Having its teammates wearing down bulky threats like moltres, zapdos, heatran, tapu fini, hippowdon, landorus, nidoking and kartana is greatly appreciated as well, as it makes it easier to take them down. It does well in the lead slot, using u-turn to give a switch to a teammate, and possibly getting a free kill. Max speed is there to possibly outspeed any opposing pheromosa, which happens often.
Without defog on the team, the only way to deal with entry hazards is Cinderace, who I have court change on. Most defoggers like tapu fini and corviknight dont want to deal with it's coverage, so while it fears some stealth-rockers landorus and hippowdon, its faster then them, and can pull off a free court change. It also matches well against sticky webbers and screen setter, so it can switch those around as well, which is helpful since most of the team isn't really weak to stealth rocks as much, and nidoking handles toxic spikes. Its power and coverage lets it deal with many threats, and it's a solid pokemon in any team.
Urshifu is mainly here for two reasons, to provide a dark typing for the powerful psychic type moves like slowbros future sight, and to provide powerful priority with sucker punch. This is why I put a choice band rather than a choice scarf, since against mons who rely on speed to sweep, like dragapult, choice kartana, regieleki, and rain barraskewda, a strong priority move to finish them off is very helpful. Its close combat and wicked blow is also useful for wallbreaking as well. Poison Jab is mainly there to punish fairy switches.
Finally Garchomp is both utility and sweeper. The rocky helmet is there to deal massive damage along with rough skin. While triple axil from pheromosa will kill it, the three turn contact with no protective pads will take off nearly half of its health. Garchomp doesnt have to sacrifice itself though. Even without hp investment, it likely can take a solid hit. In the best case scenario, once on the field, it scares out a pokemon like heatran or toxipex, and can safetly setup a swords dance. Afterwards, if they switch to a fairy type, earthquake destroys them. If they switch to something like ferrothorn or corviknight, it can setup scale shot for the speed boost, then destroy it with fire fang. Afterwards garchomp is free to sweep, since after one speed boost it outspeeds even non-scarf pheromosa, regileleki cant touch it, and it can two shot basically everything. once again, garchomp appreciates having the opposing team being worn down, but having a powerful sweeping threat on the team is appreciated.
Overall the team is well balanced, but requires smart plays to deal with things like hard stall and hyper-offence, especially stuff like weather offence.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.