With that background out of the way, here's how I formed the concept for Optical Overload. Genesect is the largest threat in OU, as noted before. Another equally big sweeper is Rock Polish Sheer Force Landorus. Both of them can sweep on a moment's notice. Now, the two together may seem like poppycock at first, but the core has viability. For one, no offensive or balanced team can withstand an assault from both of them, since the two can beat each other's main checks. In addition, both become incredibly fast after one boost, making Scarfed Pokemon irrelevant in dealing with the two of them, and necessitating the use of at least two priority users to keep them down.
Also, I think that the team's name deserves a brief explanation. Optical Overload was chosen primarily because of alliterative appeal (another alliteration, gasp), but also because of the principle of overloading, which is a tactic in which multiple sweepers that share checks and counters, with the intent of using one sweeper to weaken those checks and counters to the point where the other can sweep relatively unhindered. It's also a reference to how this team wins most of its games: through brute force and overloading any defenses the opponent might have. With that done, let's get down to the team building process.
Genesect and Landorus were the core of this team, and it's fairly obvious that I can't have a team that focuses on the two of them without actually having them, right? With that slightly snide comment aside, the two of them are some of the most powerful and anti-metagame weather-independent sweepers available, so why not go with them? They can beat each other's counters, so that's a bonus.
Of course, the only Pokemon that the core of Genesect and Landorus cannot beat are Eviolite Chansey, Blissey, and Regice. Enter the next two members of the team: Terrakion and Keldeo. Both of them have powerful Fighting STAB and great neutral coverage, allowing them to beat the three Pokemon that Landorus and Genesect cannot beat. In addition, the two can pose serious threats to opposing weather teams, with Keldeo terrorizing rain teams, Terrakion sun and sand teams, and both hail.
Stealth Rock is a necessity for every team in OU, and this team is no exception. To combat the influx of weather teams, I decided to use Tyranitar, whose access to Sand Stream and Stealth Rock seemed to be beneficial for the rest of the team. Its massive special bulk and access to Dark STAB also gave the team an answer to the Lati twins and Celebi, which posed a slight problem for the team's sweeping core. It also is Keldeo's greatest partner, eliminating the Pokemon that could stop Keldeo's bulldozing cold.
Salamence may seem like an odd choice for a team that utilizes Tyranitar, thanks to the use of Sand Stream, which exacerbates its vulnerability to residual damage, but it fills an important slot in the team as a revenge killer and cleaner. It also gives the sweeping core of the team many set-up opportunities, thanks to its 4x weakness to Ice-type moves and 2x weakness to Dragon-type moves. It also kept Genesect in check.
The team was wildly successful, but it didn't exactly like facing Gengar and Therian Tornadus, both of which necessitated using Salamence to revenge kill them, forcing it out earlier than I wanted it to come out. This is where the next change comes into play. I asked my friend Nasira for tips, and she mentioned using Specially Defensive Hippowdon over Mamoswine (which I was using then since I wanted something that could best opposing Dragons). This change gave the team a lot more bulk on the physical end, at the cost of a negligible amount of special bulk, which is made up for by not having a Fighting-type weakness to deal with.
Rotom-W is an incredible upgrade to Salamence. It can cover so many specially-based threats that it's not even funny. It also covers Mamoswine and certain other threats to the team quite well. Alongside some other changes made, this has made the team much more solid than it was before.
PHP:
The Terminal (Genesect) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Download
EVs: 24 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 228 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rock Polish
- Flamethrower
- Ice Beam
- Giga Drain
The Island (Landorus) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 68 HP / 252 SAtk / 188 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Rock Polish
- Earth Power
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Under the Waves (Keldeo-R) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 3 Atk / 30 Def
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Icy Wind
Through the Loop (Terrakion) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 248 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
Witchcraft (Hippowdon) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 4 SDef / 4 Spd
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
The Fountain (Rotom-W) @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 28 SAtk / 228 SDef / 4 Spd
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Rest
Genesect @ Expert Belt | Download
Modest | 24 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe | 0 Atk
Rock Polish | Flamethrower | Ice Beam | Giga Drain
[BOX]Oh my. Genesect might just be the most broken sweeper in OU. Seriously. It's fast, somewhat bulky, and resistant to most forms of priority, making it a nearly perfect set-up sweeper. There was no question that it was going to be on my team. However, the real question for this team wasn't to use or not to use Genesect, but which Genesect set to use. Don't listen to the majority of OU battlers; Genesect's Scarf set is not its best set. Seriously. It has better business to do than spam U-turn and kill off weakened threats, only to forced out by Heatran and / or made set-up fodder by greedy Magnezone and Magneton. Its stats, movepool, and access to Download lend to it multiple roles, ranging from a mixed stall-breaker, which can break down walls thanks to its excellent offensive stats and movepoll, to an ideal sweeper, one that can clean up house against a weakened team with minimal effort. In the end, I decided to go with a Rock Polish set, which can clean up the mess and create some of its own without even trying.
The four moves chosen for Genesect are all pretty standard, with the exception of Giga Drain. Rock Polish doubles Genesect's Speed in one turn, making Choice Scarf users and weather sweepers unsuitable choices for dealing with it. Flamethrower is as standard as coverage gets, scoring super-effective hits on the Chlorophyll sweepers and Steel-types that roam the streets of OU. Ice Beam is great on Genesect since it hits Dragon-, Ground-, and Flying-types for super-effective damage, reducing the problems the team has with them. Giga Drain is the only non-standard move that Genesect uses, with most people that use this set favoring Thunderbolt, due to its small increase in power, in comparison to Giga Drain. Giga Drain, while it may be weaker than Thunderbolt, hits most of the same targets super-effectively, in addition to hitting Rotom Wash, Tyranitar, and Gastrodon, while taking some of the damage dealt back in the form of recovered HP. That's worth the small reduction in base power, in my opinion. The EVs grant Genesect a small increase in bulk and a massive increase in power, while allowing it to speed creep Pokemon that hit a Speed stat of 286 and outspeed max Speed +ve nature Venusaur after one Rock Polish. The IVs minimize confusion damage, and Expert Belt was chosen over Life Orb so my opponents won't try to stall and get Life Orb damage to kill it.
Genesect, as identified by the Prologue, is one of the two late-game sweepers that this team uses. However, its role is not limited to just sweeping, because it can assume a role similar to that of its Expert Belt brethren and shatter walls so another member can sweep. This tends to happen when the team being faced has little in the way of set-up opportunities for Genesect, and plenty of set-up opportunities for another member of the team. In terms of Genesect's set-up opportunities, the team's weaknesses grant Genesect multiple set-up opportunities. For instance, Genesect can come in on the Mamoswine that just KOed my Landorus or Salamence and use it as set-up fodder, allowing it to destroy the opponent's team, all because of my opponent's fear that it was a Scarf set that was going to revenge kill it. Once you get Fire-types out of the way, SJCrew's proclamation that "...unless you have a Fight Gem Breloom in the wings, +1 Rock Polish Genesect WILL win you the game" rings true.[/BOX]
Turn my back, the urge is gone; left with no reason, we come undone...
Landorus @ Life Orb | Sheer Force
Modest | 68 HP / 252 SpA / 188 Spe | 2 Atk / 30 Def
Rock Polish | Earth Power | Focus Blast | Hidden Power
[BOX]If you had told me in the BW1 metagame that Sheer Force Landorus was better than Sand Force Landorus, I would've shaked my head in disbelief and went on my merry way. Allow me to eat my words. Sheer Force Landorus is arguably the next most broken sweeper after Genesect. The power this Pokemon holds behind its attacks is mind-blowing, and that's an understatement. Unlike Genesect, Landorus doesn't need Download to strengthen its attacks, as Sheer Force does quite nicely in that regard. Also unlike Genesect, Landorus can afford to run a Life Orb, since it's immune to most forms of residual damage. This leads to the question about what to run on Landorus, rather than should I run Landorus in the first place. Of course, physical Sand Force Landorus is still pretty good, but its niche has been occupied mostly by Garchomp, Terrakion, and Salamence, which either boast better Attack, Speed, abilities, or maybe even a combination of all three. In that same vein, its niche as the best Scarfer in OU has also been usurped by Genesect and Salamence, which is really sad, as it excels in that niche. Ah well. Sheer Force Landorus is where it's at anyways.
The moves my Landorus uses are all standard fare. Rock Polish allows Landorus to sweep past everything after one boost, much like Genesect. Earth Power lives up to its name and levels mountains, alongside everything that isn't resistant or immune to it, thanks to the boosts granted to it by STAB, Sheer Force, and its wonky effects on Life Orb. Focus Blast is another move that is boosted by Life Orb and Sheer Force, giving Landorus another move with which to smack around Skarmory and other Levitators. Focus Blast also assures the team that Landorus isn't helpless against Pokemon holding Air Balloon, most notably Heatran and Terrakion. Hidden Power Ice unfortunately isn't boosted by Air Balloon, but its use is limited to hitting Gliscor and other Dragons weak to it. The EVs were developed by Lavos Spawn, and grant Landorus the ability to outpace max Speed Venusaur after a boost while maximizing its power and granting it a respectable amount of bulk, and the IVs minimize confusion damage while granting Landorus a base 70 Hidden Power Ice. Life Orb works well with most of Landorus's moveset, and is incredible with Sheer Force.
Landorus is the other member of the offensive sweeping core that this team centers itself around. In most games, it's the member sent out first to break apart the opponent's team so Genesect can sweep. On a few occasions, such as when I'm facing a team that Genesect can't sweep, but Landorus can, the order in which they come out will be reversed. Landorus's set-up opportunities are realized mostly against Choiced Pokemon locked into moves Landorus resists or is immune to. Should the opponent's team lose their special walls and be even slightly weakened once Landorus boosts, it's gg from there. If they aren't, then they won't be in good shape for the next assault from Genesect. All in all, Landorus is an incredible team member, and one that I lack the will to replace.[/BOX]
There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going...
Terrakion @ Salac Berry | Justified
Jolly | 4 HP / 248 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Substitute | Swords Dance | Close Combat | Stone Edge
[BOX]Terrakion is just one of those Pokemon that has everything it needs to succeed. It has an excellent Attack stat backed up by powerful STAB moves that hit almost all of the OU tier for neutral damage (screw you Toxicroak) and an auspicious Speed stat that allows it to outspeed the majority of its intended targets. Its typing, while leaving it vulnerable to common attacks such as Breloom's Mach Punch and Scizor's Bullet Punch, grants it a resistance to Dragonite's ExtremeSpeed and Volcarona's STAB, allowing it to use them as set-up fodder. Unlike Genesect and Landorus, Terrakion had quite a bit of competition with Lucario and Breloom to earn its spot on the team as a stallbreaker. While the former had access to ExtremeSpeed and auspicious resistances, and the latter powerful Technician-boosted attacks, both lacked Terrakion's speed and nearly unresisted STAB, which allowed it to chew through teams so that Genesect or Landorus can sweep unhindered. With that settled, I had to decide on a set. I was torn between the Choice Band set, which offered immediate power at the price of being locked into one move and possibility of being set-up fodder for Landorus and Terrakion, and the SubSD set, which doesn't have as much immediate power, but has even more potential, thanks to Substitute shielding it from status and Swords Dance ramping its Attack up to eleven, allowing it to tear teams of all archetypes apart.
The moves are all pretty standard fare for Terrakion. Substitute gives Terrakion a temporary shield against status and revenge killers, and is key in activating its Salac Berry, for reasons seen below. Swords Dance allows Terrakion to serve as an excellent stallbreaker by boosting its Attack up to the point where even physical walls aside from Gliscor and Therian Landorus can't weather its hits. Close Combat is powerful STAB that helps clear the field of any special walls that could be an impediment to Genesect's and Landorus's sweeps. Stone Edge is Tyranitar's other STAB move, and is used when it'll hit harder than Close Combat. The EVs maximize Terrakion's Attack and Speed, and the last 4 EVs were tossed into HP so Terrakion's Salac Berry activates after 3 subs instead of 4. 4 EVs were taken out of Attack and placed in Special Defense so Genesect is forced to accept an Attack boost as it switches in, reducing the threat of its Rock Polish sets. Many thanks to Jimbon for suggesting this change.
Terrakion's use depends on the team being faced. Against sun and Deoxys-D hyper offense teams, I'll lead with it, set a sub up, and get one Swords Dance up. Afterwards, I'll have Terrakion go on a rampage until it's taken down, at which point I'll have another team member pick up where Terrakion left off, keeping the offensive pressure and momentum on my side. Against rain teams, which have little in the way of set-up opportunities for Terrakion, I'll use it to take down as many members as possible until Politoed goes down, in which case I'll sack it so Salamence can start mowing down the opponent with Moxie-boosted attacks or Genesect can set itself up and sweep. If I notice that my opponent's team is 6-0ed by Terrakion, I'll forgo Stealth Rock and jump at the chance to rip apart the opponent's team. Terrakion is cool as a stall-breaker and possible late-game sweeper. If you're going to suggest a replacement, it should be able to do what Terrakion does, and a little bit more.[/BOX]
Head caught in a tide that's cruel as the ocean...
Keldeo [Resolute] @ Choice Scarf | Justified
Timid | 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe | 3 Atk / 30 SpA
Hydro Pump | Secret Sword | Hidden Power | Icy Wind
[BOX]Keldeo, much like its older mentor Terrakion, can assume several powerful roles, despite its limited movepool, thanks to its excellent stat spread. With Choice Specs attached, it becomes one of the best stall-breakers available, and with a Choice Scarf, it can serve as a premier revenge killer. It can even go as a set-up sweeper, thanks to its access to Calm Mind. Much like Terrakion, Keldeo had a bit of competition for its slot on the team with Latios and Hydreigon. While they both might have a powerful Draco Meteor, Keldeo has STAB moves that are almost as powerful, but don't have any negative side effects, as well as a typing that doesn't leave it as vulnerable to Genesect and Scizor. Compared to Latios, who was faster and slightly stronger, Keldeo's typing was the real deal-maker. With that determined, I looked into sets for Keldeo to use, and eventually narrowed my choices down to the SubCM set and the Specs set. The former boasted a semi-immunity to status and revenge killing, at the cost of limited coverage that is resisted by many more Pokemon than Terrakion's Rock / Fighting coverage. The latter had more immediate power, at the cost of an immunity to status. I ended up choosing the latter since Keldeo had a better defensive typing than Terrakion and was less vulnerable to priority moves. Besides, if Genesect wants to revenge kill Keldeo with Thunderbolt, it's going to have to face the consequences (getting set up on by Landorus). I did some more testing, and I eventually decided to use the Choice Scarf set, since it pressures rain teams like nothing else.
The moves are what many people using Scarf Keldeo use. Hydro Pump is an incredible STAB move that can 2HKO almost anything that doesn't resist it. If the rain comes down, some resists are 2HKOed, while some Pokemon that were 2HKOed outside of the rain are now OHKOed. Secret Sword is the bane of any special wall that decides to switch in, thinking that they can absorb a Hydro Pump and recover the damage off. Hidden Power reduces the threat level of Gyarados and other fast Pokemon weak to Electric-type moves. Does Celebi think it's smart to switch in on Keldeo's Hydro Pump or Secret Sword? Icy Wind dispels that thought in a flash. The EVs are standard, and the IVs guarantee Keldeo an Electric-type Hidden Power with a base power of 70.
The loss of Salamence caused the team to lose a solid revenge killer and rain check. Turns out this wasn't the end of the world. With a slight change to the item and moveset, Keldeo could easily take on the role of the powerful Scarfed revenge killer and late-game cleaner. Keldeo's role is not as specialized as its predecessor, due to its better typing. Due to the prominence of rain, Keldeo can serve as a terrorist against rain teams in the mid-game, while serving as a somewhat decent check to Volcarona and Gyarados. With its excellent Speed stat, it can act as a great dragon slayer, being able to snip apart opposing Scarf Salamence and Garchomp, each of which can pose a large problem if they're left to their own devices.[/BOX]
I'm looking for your hand in the rough; you're caught in the wire; well, I'll lift you out...
Hippowdon @ Leftovers | Sand Stream
Impish | 252 HP / 248 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Earthquake | Stealth Rock | Slack Off | Whirlwind
[BOX]It may seem strange to use Hippowdon in a team where only one member directly benefits from the sand it brings, but it's here to provide Stealth Rock and anti-weather support. Initially, this slot belonged to a Tyranitar, but I didn't exactly appreciate how it made the team extremely vulnerable to Gengar, Dugtrio, and Therian Tornadus, who could each easily eliminate or disable Tyranitar and have their own weather running again. In addition, every solution I concocted for each problem Pokemon left me vulnerable to something else. After some more testing, I decided to just drop it and use Physically Defensive Hippowdon, which Dugtrio cannot trap, thanks to its massive bulk, access to reliable recovery in the form of Slack Off, and pHazing that can't be stopped by Soundproof. As a testament to its massive bulk, CB Terrakion cannot 2HKO Terrakion with Close Combat unless hazards are down on the field. Hippowdon also acts as the first half of this team's defensive core.
Hippowdon's moves are all standard fare, as it has relatively little to work with. Earthquake is there so Hippowdon doesn't become Taunt fodder, and can dish out a considerable amount of damage despite the lack of Attack EVs. Stealth Rock is the obligatory entry hazard that every team should have on them. It makes dealing with Dragonite and Volcarona a much less painful process for the team, and it also forces many more KOs than Sandstorm damage alone. Slack Off is Hippowdon's obligatory recovery move, smd it ensures the team that opposing weather abusers aside from Stoutland can't properly abuse their weather. Whirlwind is the obligatory pHazing move that prevents Hippowdon from being made set-up fodder by the many powerful attackers in OU. The EVs maximize Hippowdon's amazing physical bulk, while allowing it to speed creep opposing Hippowdon.
I don't think I mentioned this in the Overview, but this team is not entirely dependent on sand to function. Hippowdon is here simply because it is a reliable Stealth Rock inducer that can deal with the multitude of powerful physical threats that can otherwise. With that aside established, Hippowdon usually leads the team, getting Stealth Rock down quickly and relatively painlessly, unless the team faced can be 6-0ed by one of the set-up sweepers the team uses. Once Stealth Rock is set, Hippowdon's main role will be relegated to acting as a pivot so another sweeper on the team can get a safe switch-in and start wreaking havoc. If an opposing stall team is being faced, I'll try to minimize Hippowdon's presence on the field to avoid the chance of it becoming set-up fodder for Pokemon such as Skarmory or Forretress. Overall, Hippowdon is a great Pokemon, and a critical team member that I am no longer willing to replace.[/BOX]
Watching, waiting, shaping, faking, shocking, pumping, mocking, stopping...
Rotom [Wash] @ Chesto Berry | Levitate
Calm | 248 HP / 28 SpA / 228 SpD / 4 Spe | 0 Atk
Volt Switch | Hydro Pump | Thunder Wave | Rest
[BOX]Rotom-W is the other half of this team's defensive core, taking the attacks thrown around by top threats such as Therian Tornadus and Specs Keldeo (aside from Secret Sword) without any problems. Rotom-W is also my best defense against Rock Polish Genesect and Sheer Force RP Landorus, both of which are capable of running through my team if I didn't have a buffer against them. If you've been keeping tabs on this team, then you may realize that a Salamence used to occupy this slot. While IMO Salamence is still the best scarfer in the OU metagame, Rotom-W does a whole lot more for this team than Salamence did. For one, it can reliably paralyze, since its Water-type STAB in the form of Hydro Pump dissuades Ground-types not named Gastrodon from switching in on a presupposed Thunder Wave and taking a free turn to set themselves up. In addition, thanks to its auspicious typing, Rotom-W can act as a veritable offensive pivot for the rest of the team, bringing advantageous match-ups to them, at almost no cost to itself.
Most of Rotom-W's moves are standard fare, with the exception of Rest. Volt switch is Rotom-W's first STAB and is the main reason that Rotom-W can act as an offensive pivot. Hydro Pump is Rotom-W's other STAB and strongest move available to it, and the key to Rotom-W's success in inducing paralysis on the opponent's team. Thunder Wave is Rotom-W's paralysis-inducing move, which allows it to slow down many offensive threats that could tear my team apart if they weren't slowed down. Rest is where I deviate from the standard specially defensive Rotom-W set. While the analysis advocates using Pain Split, I prefer using Rest because it gives Rotom-W a second chance at life and the ability to act as a status absorber for the rest of the team. The 4 EVs in Speed let my Rotom-W speed creep other Rotom-W, 28 SpA EVs give Rotom-W enough Special Attack to guarantee a OHKO against Gliscor with Hydro Pump, and the remaining EVs give Rotom-W quite a bit of special bulk. Chesto Berry was chosen over Leftovers because, when used alongside Rest, it grants Rotom-W once turn of status healing and 100% recovery.
Rotom-W is sent out early on in the game to take attacks from Pokemon such as the aforementioned Therian Tornadus and Keldeo, as well as Politoed and other Pokemon like them, and possibly secure some momentum and a sweeping opportunity for one of Genesect, Landorus, or Terrakion. If it can do the latter task, then I can usually close the game without a hitch with the sweeper brought out by Rotom-W's Volt Switch. However, if the latter goal isn't accomplished, then no hope is lost, since it can serve as a potent special wall, offensive pivot, and paralysis inducer. Also, Rotom-W is one of the Pokemon used to best SubDD Gyarados, which can run through my team if I predict incorrectly. Usually, my gameplan to beat SubDD Gyarados is to break its sub with a slow Volt Switch from Rotom-W and rain Zeus's fury upon it with Keldeo's Hidden Power Electric. All in all, Rotom-W is an amazing Pokemon, and for this team, an excellent supporter for the powerful sweepers that this team uses.[/BOX]
Well, that's Optical Overload for you. Before I close the curtains on the text of this RMT, I'd like to thank Sayonara (A.K.A. Kira Light) for being a test buddy for the first iteration of this team. I hope this teaches you a few lessons! Also, thank you Intergalactic for working with me to build teams (Rise of the Stern Ritter really has influenced this team in a good way). It's incredibly fun to work with you, because the results end up bringing twists of creativity out from the both of us. Nasira, thank you for the Hippowdon suggestion. It's noticeably improved the team. Lavos Spawn is a boss for letting me use and post his Genesect and Landorus EV spreads, which are infinitely better than the spreads posted on-site, and a huge factor in this team's success. Finally, this is my public congrats to big Harsha on achieving modship. I'm glad to see that you've gone from being my tutee to where you are now. I'm also waiting for your rate. Have fun with this team, and if you know the origins of the italicised text above each the Pokemon, then you get kudos from me. If you like this team, please consider giving it a Luvdisc.
ARCHIVE EDIT: If you intend to use this team in today's metagame, let it be known that an importable for the current version can be found below.
PHP:
Plasticworld (Tyranitar) (F) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Atk / 200 SDef / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
The Island (Landorus) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 68 HP / 252 SAtk / 188 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Rock Polish
- Earth Power
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Under the Waves (Keldeo-Resolute) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 3 Atk / 30 Def
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Icy Wind
Through the Loop (Terrakion) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 248 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
Witchcraft (Hippowdon) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 4 SDef / 4 Spd
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
The Fountain (Rotom-W) @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 28 SAtk / 228 SDef / 4 Spd
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Rest[Let it come] Let it go streamline; [let it come] let it come inside...
Salamence @ Choice Scarf | Moxie
Naive | 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Outrage | Earthquake | Fire Blast | Dragon Claw
[BOX]Eat your heart out Genesect. Salamence is easily the best Scarfer in OU at the moment. Salamence is mind-bogglingly fast, and thanks to Moxie, it can even attempt a late-game sweep with Outrage or Dragon Claw. The team needed a Scarfed revenge killer, and Salamence seemed to be the best Pokemon for this role, its only competition for this slot being Therian Thundurus and Garchomp. While the former ruined rain teams, it could not revenge kill Volcarona, and despite the latter's better speed, I preferred the late-game sweeping ability that Salamence had, thanks to Moxie (though I am willing to test Garchomp again). Salamence had the best attributes of Therian Thundurus (the ability to ruin rain teams) and Garchomp (Dragon STAB), in addition to the aforementioned ability to sweep with Moxie. It also had a handy resistance to Breloom's STAB, making it incredibly useful as a Breloom check. Salamence also conveniently outspeeds Scarf Genesect, allowing me to surprise them with a powerful and unexpected Fire Blast.
Salamence's moves are all givens for the standard Scarf MoxieMence. Outrage is Salamence's most powerful STAB attack, and is the move most often clicked on once the opponent's team has been significantly weakened. The rest are coverage or auxiliary moves clicked upon once per battle (I exaggerate, but my point still stands). Earthquake deals a heavy amount of damage to the steels that will switch in and attempt to wall Salamence. Fire Blast does the same, but for levitating steels, such as Skarmory and Bronzong (even though Fire Blast does a pittance to the latter). Dragon Claw is Salamence's auxiliary STAB move, and is often the move used to sweep a severely weakened team in the late-game. However, I am considering the use of Rock Slide over Dragon Claw to more effectively revenge kill Volcarona and opposing Salamence. The EVs are standard fare, and the Naive nature lets Salamence outspeed every form of Scarf Genesect known to mankind.
Salamence is the most straight-forward member of the team, thanks to its highly specialized role. It first appears later in the game to revenge kill Pokemon that have eliminated Keldeo or Hippowdon. It also serves as the team's resident Volcarona and Dragonite check, thanks to its superior speed and access to powerful Dragon STAB in the form of Outrage. In the end-game, it can be used to clean up house when there is no time to set up with Genesect or Landorus. In those situations when Salamence can't do much, I'll use it as a battering ram and information-gatherer. Thanks to Salamence's excellent base Speed and use of a Choice Scarf of its own, I can easily determine which of the opponent's Pokemon is Scarfed, and alter my game plans to use those Pokemon as set-up fodder. Salamence is an important Pokemon, but I think that Garchomp would be able to many of Salamence's roles, with the advantage of being able to outpace Scarf Landorus and Therian Thundurus.[/BOX]
Salamence @ Choice Scarf | Moxie
Naive | 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Outrage | Earthquake | Fire Blast | Dragon Claw
[BOX]Eat your heart out Genesect. Salamence is easily the best Scarfer in OU at the moment. Salamence is mind-bogglingly fast, and thanks to Moxie, it can even attempt a late-game sweep with Outrage or Dragon Claw. The team needed a Scarfed revenge killer, and Salamence seemed to be the best Pokemon for this role, its only competition for this slot being Therian Thundurus and Garchomp. While the former ruined rain teams, it could not revenge kill Volcarona, and despite the latter's better speed, I preferred the late-game sweeping ability that Salamence had, thanks to Moxie (though I am willing to test Garchomp again). Salamence had the best attributes of Therian Thundurus (the ability to ruin rain teams) and Garchomp (Dragon STAB), in addition to the aforementioned ability to sweep with Moxie. It also had a handy resistance to Breloom's STAB, making it incredibly useful as a Breloom check. Salamence also conveniently outspeeds Scarf Genesect, allowing me to surprise them with a powerful and unexpected Fire Blast.
Salamence's moves are all givens for the standard Scarf MoxieMence. Outrage is Salamence's most powerful STAB attack, and is the move most often clicked on once the opponent's team has been significantly weakened. The rest are coverage or auxiliary moves clicked upon once per battle (I exaggerate, but my point still stands). Earthquake deals a heavy amount of damage to the steels that will switch in and attempt to wall Salamence. Fire Blast does the same, but for levitating steels, such as Skarmory and Bronzong (even though Fire Blast does a pittance to the latter). Dragon Claw is Salamence's auxiliary STAB move, and is often the move used to sweep a severely weakened team in the late-game. However, I am considering the use of Rock Slide over Dragon Claw to more effectively revenge kill Volcarona and opposing Salamence. The EVs are standard fare, and the Naive nature lets Salamence outspeed every form of Scarf Genesect known to mankind.
Salamence is the most straight-forward member of the team, thanks to its highly specialized role. It first appears later in the game to revenge kill Pokemon that have eliminated Keldeo or Hippowdon. It also serves as the team's resident Volcarona and Dragonite check, thanks to its superior speed and access to powerful Dragon STAB in the form of Outrage. In the end-game, it can be used to clean up house when there is no time to set up with Genesect or Landorus. In those situations when Salamence can't do much, I'll use it as a battering ram and information-gatherer. Thanks to Salamence's excellent base Speed and use of a Choice Scarf of its own, I can easily determine which of the opponent's Pokemon is Scarfed, and alter my game plans to use those Pokemon as set-up fodder. Salamence is an important Pokemon, but I think that Garchomp would be able to many of Salamence's roles, with the advantage of being able to outpace Scarf Landorus and Therian Thundurus.[/BOX]
