Peaked #1 (2041 ELO) – Not Hydrapple Stall
This team was built by myself.
https://pokepast.es/95b1c9f9b2432de7
Table of Contents:
Proof of Peak
|
Peak games: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054150482 (hitting #1)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054148532 (hitting #2)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054129059?p2 (hitting #3)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054091341?p2 (breaking 2000)
Team Members
I refuse to do the godforsaken layout the stall RMTs use for team members where you see more Pokemon minisprites per paragraph than should be legal, so we are just going to go with a basic overview with detailed explanations here.
Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 28 Def / 220 SpD / 8 Spe
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Earthquake
- Ruination
- Whirlwind
Originally Samurott-H, this slot is intended to spread Spikes while also providing some means for making progress. While Samurott-H is undoubtebly the stronger offensive presence, Ting Lu provided great patchwork for me as I did not feel as pigeonholed in the lead sequences and I had greater defensive depth. A big part of SV OU offense is finding the right lead paths and early-game lines; you can approach it similarly to mapping out an old generation without team preview in some senses as falling a step behind in an offense mirror can get dire. Having initial plans and contingency plans for common structures goes a long way, and Ting Lu opened things up to more versatile approaches here while Sash Samurott-H (can be found in the original version above) was more of a limiting factor.
Ting Lu in particular is a specially defensive behemoth that can force progress with Ruination, which is super underrated as a method of forcing offense in this metagame. Being able to force chip on stuff like Gliscor or Skarmory, which can heal up easily, still generates free turns later or forces sequences where they have to play handcuffed due to that prior chip. In addition, opposing threats like Volcarona, Dragapult, Gholdengo, Raging Bolt, Deoxys-Speed, Iron Moth, Heatran, and Zapdos being blanket checked is a godsend for a team that trends offense. The metagame is oversaturated with threats, so role compression is a necessity if you wish to find any semblance of consistency.
Tera Water is a supremely underrated pick when Ting Lu is paired with another Ground type. It can swing the entire game in your favor against Rain or Sun; it stifles Walking Wake and minimizes Gouging Fire against Sun while it is able to minimize Barraskewda, Manaphy, or Pelipper in the Rain game. Losing the Ground type is a huge problem into Raging Bolt, which you see on these teams a lot, but I have Landorus-T + Encore Iron Valiant, meaning that I have Spikes, immunities to both STABs, and multiple forms of priority for Raging Bolt even after I Tera Ting Lu.
Finally, 28 defense EVs live Tera Fire Gouging Fire Choice Band Raging Fury in Sun if it is the speed boosting variant, Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade, and multiple Body Press from +2 Archaludon if this ever comes into play (mainly focused on the first two admiteddly).
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 232 HP / 44 Def / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- U-turn
Landorus-T is the glue of this team, serving as a blanket check to a number of physical attackers. While it seldom functions as a hard counter to much of anything, Landorus-T is great at forcing progress with Stealth Rock, Rocky Helmet, and U-turn sequencing. The speed is part of an initiative I mentioned earlier with regards to mapping out early-game lines: outpacing Glimmora (and Great Tusk) is paramount towards achieving a favorable early game against select offenses.
The HP EVs allow for survival of Choice Specs Draco Meteor from Dragapult while all possible leftover goes into defense, which allows for me to tank the most focal hits possible as this is a Pokemon with Intimidate and Rocky Helmet after all. Earth Power was selected to hit Glimmora without spreading Toxic Spikes, Archaludon despite Stamina, various Pokemon when facing Grassy Terrain offense, and Iron Defense Zamazenta, which I rely on Landorus-T to minimize. Taunt is a huge move to cover Skarmory, Gliscor, and bulky teams in general, but you can opt for Psychic for Hawlucha if you fear you cannot preserve Kingambit and Dragonite enough to stop it later in games.
Tera Water may seem weird when doubling up with another Tera Water Ground type like Ting Lu, but I do not elect to use Landorus-T much to Tera and, whenever I do, it is against something like Gouging Fire, Ogerpon-Wellspring, Barraskewda, or Weavile, making this simply the most enticing option when considered relatively. You can go with Tera Ground for shocking extra Earth Power damage to take out certain Steel types in 1 after less chip than otherwise needed, too.
Kingambit @ Leftovers / Air Balloon
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Kowtow Cleave
Kingambit remains one of the best Pokemon in the metagame despite all of the new releases and strategy shifts. It is a timeless presence in SV at this point. I am using a set that exemplefies that nicely as it is not something you would need to use or see at all during the prior editions of SV OU, but it is among the more common Tera options in current SV OU. Tera Ghost Kingambit is able to stifle Skarmory and Corviknight while covering Body Press from Zamazenta, Low Kick from Weavile or opposing Kingambit, and stray fighting moves like Brick Break Roaring Moon, Low Kick Deoxys-Speed, Secret Sword Samurott-H, and Close Combat Iron Valiant.
Tera Ghost is especially nice with Leftovers as it can outlast Skarmory despite Rocky Helmet -- Swords Dance on spare turns to negate RH recoil, but you can opt to use Air Balloon to help with the admiteddly challenging Gliscor match-up as well. If opting for Air Balloon, try to force Iron Valiant in on Skarmory as much as possible to Knock Off Rocky Helmet or force it to exhaust Roosts or switch out at the threat of Encore use or Thunderbolt bluff.
I much prefer a bulkier Kingambit when not using Low Kick for opposing Kingambit as the extra HP goes a very long way towards assuring survivability while limiting Sucker Punch reliance. This spread always lives 2 Ivy Cudgel from Ogerpon-Wellspring after Stealth Rock with Air Balloon or a layer of Spikes with Leftovers, for example. You also survive Adamant Flare Blitz from Boots Gouging Fire from full, Earth Power from Specs Kyurem from full, and Fiery Dance from offensive Volcarona after Stealth Rock always.
Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 64 Atk / 192 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Moonblast
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Encore
Iron Valiant is not in need of a deep description like some of the others. It is a strong offensive presence that hits from both sides on this team. Knock Off is super valuable with the hazard profile of the team, Encore is essential glue to cover an array of common scenarios, and the speed is helpful to alleviate reliance on priority from other team members for revenge killing purposes.
64 attack allows for me to OHKO offensive Heatran and Blissey while helping my odds against Iron Treads after any hazard with Close Combat and the 2HKO odds into Slowking-Galar with Knock Off, which are still not perfect odds by any means. Moonblast still kills Garchomp after a Spike, Kyurem after Stealth Rock, max HP Great Tusk from full, and Iron Jugulis from full. Tera Steel is seldom clicked, but it helps a lot with certain resistances in a pinch, which can save me in specific late-game scenarios.
Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Ice Spinner
- Extreme Speed
Like Iron Valiant, this is a fairly standard variant that does not mandate too much explanation. Tera Normal "E-Killer" Dragonite has been a viable option on offense to help with opposing offense since the beginning of SV in late 2022! It has perhaps seen better days, but it fits the scheme here nicely, especially when I anticipated my opponnt to use offense. Being able to soft-check (emphasis on soft) Ogerpon-Wellspring, Volcarona, Barraskewda, Rillaboom, and Heatran is nice role compression for something with strong priority, satisfasctory coverage, and Multiscale at least. I kept max speed for mirrors as I did not want to be slower than Modest Raging Bolt or Heatran (let alone Volcanion), so at that point it was not worth saving a little bulk for the loss of the occasional Dragonite mirror.
Ice Spinner was big for opposing Dragon types and Gliscor, Earthquake was selected over Fire Punch as I had Tera Ghost Kingambit for Skarmory and Corviknight while Earthquake hits various Pokemon hard, and Dragon Dance/Extreme Speed are just staples at this point, so it goes without saying you get the boost and the main goal of the set. It is fine to use Fire Punch with Tera Fire if you change Kingambit away from Tera Ghost, but I prefer it this way for sure.
Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 136 HP / 4 Def / 152 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Tera Blast
- Morning Sun
Volcarona may seem like a great sweeper -- and it is, but it serves even more as glue for this and countless other teams. Being able to resist Ice while not being weak to Ground is huge for Kyurem, which is a big threat in the teambuilder to most. In addition, Fairy resists do not always fit onto Kingambit teams too easily as it does not always allow for a second Steel type. You even are able to handle opposing Gholdengo and Scizor, which is nice for an offense like this.
Tera Dragon is very good on Volcarona, flipping the match-up into Ogerpon-Wellspring, various weather Pokemon, opposing Volcarona, and Dondozo defensively while allowing you to hit Dragapult, Gouging Fire, Dragonite, Kyurem, Raging Bolt, Roaring Moon, Walking Wake, Dondozo, Garchomp, and various others with Tera Blast. I find Substitute and Tera Ground variants to be used a bit much right now for Slowking-Galar, but this build has two Ground types, Knock Off, and Kingambit, so I did not find that important whatsoever here. Morning Sun felt like a huge addition to the set for longevity when facing the Pokemon Volcarona helps against as glue such as Enamorus, Iron Valiant, Kyurem, and Gholdengo, too.
Speed outruns Kyurem, bulk survives 2 Gliscor Earthquake and one max attack Headlong Rush from Great Tusk from full while tanking Draco Meteor from Archaludon post-Tera if you are +1 special defense. Leftover is thrown specifically into special attack for a plethora of different reasons.
Threats
As the great SupaGmoney always says, although this team is very tough to beat, it is not unbeatable.
Super challenging to swap into for the metagame as a whole right now. With complimentary moves like Knock Off, Superpower, and Play Rough seeing an uptick in usage, it's seldom easy against Ogerpon-Wellspring. If it is Play Rough for Dragonite or has Knock Off + a reliable Stealth Rock setter, it is going to be a matter of putting on immediate pressure, cutting-off openings, and potentially exhausting a timely Tera with Volcarona in order to limit Ogerpon-Wellspring. It is playable as replays above show, but not my favorite encounter.
Gliscor can get dicey with Protect + Toxic shenanigans. I can apply pressure with Ruination, catch Encore turns, Taunt it with Landorus-T, easily 1v1 it with Dragonite's Ice Spinner, and so on, but it tends to get in and stifle some progress. It is why I consider Air Balloon an option on Kingambit, but also there are games where I just trade Kingambit with it since Kingambit easily lives 2 EQs; it just gets dicey depending on how many Pokemon are dead and how it is positioned. Overall, the Samurott-H version and Air Balloon are most secure here, but I took a slight risk knowing my opponent leaned more offensive and I was still able to beat Gliscor regularly on the ladder and in OST, so we ball.
This team also has a slim, but doable, window into opposing stall, but it was not as common on the ladder as I anticipated and I did not expect to encounter it in SPL either.
Hard to switch in-to and matches-up favorably with Ting Lu. I tend to try and pivot around it with Landorus-T and Dragonite while minimizing it to a Spike and Knock rather than being a major threat. Not something that threatens to sweep or plagues me long-term, but you do not want to exhaust Iron Valiant in the early game or fall too far behind either.
Hard to switch into without exhausting Tera if it is Low Kick and you do not always want Kingambit losing Leftovers long-term either. Just a strong Pokemon with irksome STABs.
Shuts down Volcarona, can shut down Dragonite with the right timing/tera, and resists STABs from Valiant. Need to Knock Off lure early and then keep up pressure. It is one of my least favorite match-ups and a super underrated Pokemon.
Uncommon, but hard to navigate as it outruns everything after the Booster Energy and I cannot do much net damage to it with Landorus-T or Ting Lu. Key is to try and force a trade, even with the cost of Tera, with Volcarona or Kingambit by baiting the right sequence. It's not a fun thing to play around and will likely claim most of a kill + a Knock Off or two, which goes a long way.
Forces a Tera Water or a ton of damage on Kingambit, but getting rid of it opens up the game for Volcarona a lot. There's give-and-take, but normally beatable if you play aggressive enough in the context of the game.
Replays
SPL vs mncmt: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-746762, facing Grassy Terrain offense
OST vs Trade: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-747034, facing Regen+Gliscor balance
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2055223554, facing Webs
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054129059?p2, facing Sun
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054091341?p2, facing Trick Room
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054079249?p2, facing Booster Spam
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2053610146?p2, facing Rain
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2053607724, facing Terrain
Acknowledgements
An RMT does not warrant shoutouts; this opportunity should be left for winning a major tournament or reaching some substantial milestone. However, I do want to extent one big thanks to SupaGmoney, Highv0ltag3, and the Stall Discord for inspiring me to make this RMT with this particular format. Join NJNP's server for great OU discussion that may or may not make you wish to punch a hole in a wall.
This team was built by myself.
https://pokepast.es/95b1c9f9b2432de7
Samurott-H version (original): https://pokepast.es/f7346590900dc0f9
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Proof of Peak
- Team Members
- Threats
- Replays
- Acknowledgments
This is not how I would normally do an RMT (and honestly, I would not nornally do an RMT more than maybe once a generation), but gotta commit to the bit, right Highv0ltag3 SupaGmoney?
This is a team I had prepared for SPL (Smogon Premier League) week 4. For those unfamiliar, this is the most prestigious tournament in competitive singles and it happens around the start of each year. I happened to peak the ladder with the team I was testing, so I figured I would share it with the community now that I am done with it and the alt I used it on. I try my best to share what I can as one of the faces of the metagame and the tier leader. However, sometimes I cannot share much due to scouting and privacy that comes with protecting yourself and teammates during a tournament. It is special to be able to present things whenever I can, so I am glad to post this RMT!
I was paired with mncmt, who is among the best players on Smogon right now. His track record includes going 9-0 last SPL during the regular season, going 17-4 in SV OU official tournament games thus far, and making the finals of OST last generation and Grand Slam last year. This is a very strong opponent that I had a ton of respect for, so I knew that my preparation would have to be good in order to give myself a chance.
My primary idea was to use lead Samurott-H with Knock Off + Ceaseless Edge and Knock Off + Encore Iron Valiant. My opponent did not use many bulkier teams, so I fel that this alone could provide enough disruption to bulky cores and boots spam, allowing me to focus the remainder of my resources onto covering the various offensive archetypes we see dominating the metagame. Ironically enough, my final version of the team ditched Samurott-H for Ting Lu, but we'll get there as we get through the team!
This is a team I had prepared for SPL (Smogon Premier League) week 4. For those unfamiliar, this is the most prestigious tournament in competitive singles and it happens around the start of each year. I happened to peak the ladder with the team I was testing, so I figured I would share it with the community now that I am done with it and the alt I used it on. I try my best to share what I can as one of the faces of the metagame and the tier leader. However, sometimes I cannot share much due to scouting and privacy that comes with protecting yourself and teammates during a tournament. It is special to be able to present things whenever I can, so I am glad to post this RMT!
I was paired with mncmt, who is among the best players on Smogon right now. His track record includes going 9-0 last SPL during the regular season, going 17-4 in SV OU official tournament games thus far, and making the finals of OST last generation and Grand Slam last year. This is a very strong opponent that I had a ton of respect for, so I knew that my preparation would have to be good in order to give myself a chance.
My primary idea was to use lead Samurott-H with Knock Off + Ceaseless Edge and Knock Off + Encore Iron Valiant. My opponent did not use many bulkier teams, so I fel that this alone could provide enough disruption to bulky cores and boots spam, allowing me to focus the remainder of my resources onto covering the various offensive archetypes we see dominating the metagame. Ironically enough, my final version of the team ditched Samurott-H for Ting Lu, but we'll get there as we get through the team!
Proof of Peak
Peak games: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054150482 (hitting #1)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054148532 (hitting #2)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054129059?p2 (hitting #3)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054091341?p2 (breaking 2000)
Team Members
I refuse to do the godforsaken layout the stall RMTs use for team members where you see more Pokemon minisprites per paragraph than should be legal, so we are just going to go with a basic overview with detailed explanations here.
Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 28 Def / 220 SpD / 8 Spe
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Earthquake
- Ruination
- Whirlwind
Originally Samurott-H, this slot is intended to spread Spikes while also providing some means for making progress. While Samurott-H is undoubtebly the stronger offensive presence, Ting Lu provided great patchwork for me as I did not feel as pigeonholed in the lead sequences and I had greater defensive depth. A big part of SV OU offense is finding the right lead paths and early-game lines; you can approach it similarly to mapping out an old generation without team preview in some senses as falling a step behind in an offense mirror can get dire. Having initial plans and contingency plans for common structures goes a long way, and Ting Lu opened things up to more versatile approaches here while Sash Samurott-H (can be found in the original version above) was more of a limiting factor.
Ting Lu in particular is a specially defensive behemoth that can force progress with Ruination, which is super underrated as a method of forcing offense in this metagame. Being able to force chip on stuff like Gliscor or Skarmory, which can heal up easily, still generates free turns later or forces sequences where they have to play handcuffed due to that prior chip. In addition, opposing threats like Volcarona, Dragapult, Gholdengo, Raging Bolt, Deoxys-Speed, Iron Moth, Heatran, and Zapdos being blanket checked is a godsend for a team that trends offense. The metagame is oversaturated with threats, so role compression is a necessity if you wish to find any semblance of consistency.
Tera Water is a supremely underrated pick when Ting Lu is paired with another Ground type. It can swing the entire game in your favor against Rain or Sun; it stifles Walking Wake and minimizes Gouging Fire against Sun while it is able to minimize Barraskewda, Manaphy, or Pelipper in the Rain game. Losing the Ground type is a huge problem into Raging Bolt, which you see on these teams a lot, but I have Landorus-T + Encore Iron Valiant, meaning that I have Spikes, immunities to both STABs, and multiple forms of priority for Raging Bolt even after I Tera Ting Lu.
Finally, 28 defense EVs live Tera Fire Gouging Fire Choice Band Raging Fury in Sun if it is the speed boosting variant, Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade, and multiple Body Press from +2 Archaludon if this ever comes into play (mainly focused on the first two admiteddly).
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 232 HP / 44 Def / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- U-turn
Landorus-T is the glue of this team, serving as a blanket check to a number of physical attackers. While it seldom functions as a hard counter to much of anything, Landorus-T is great at forcing progress with Stealth Rock, Rocky Helmet, and U-turn sequencing. The speed is part of an initiative I mentioned earlier with regards to mapping out early-game lines: outpacing Glimmora (and Great Tusk) is paramount towards achieving a favorable early game against select offenses.
The HP EVs allow for survival of Choice Specs Draco Meteor from Dragapult while all possible leftover goes into defense, which allows for me to tank the most focal hits possible as this is a Pokemon with Intimidate and Rocky Helmet after all. Earth Power was selected to hit Glimmora without spreading Toxic Spikes, Archaludon despite Stamina, various Pokemon when facing Grassy Terrain offense, and Iron Defense Zamazenta, which I rely on Landorus-T to minimize. Taunt is a huge move to cover Skarmory, Gliscor, and bulky teams in general, but you can opt for Psychic for Hawlucha if you fear you cannot preserve Kingambit and Dragonite enough to stop it later in games.
Tera Water may seem weird when doubling up with another Tera Water Ground type like Ting Lu, but I do not elect to use Landorus-T much to Tera and, whenever I do, it is against something like Gouging Fire, Ogerpon-Wellspring, Barraskewda, or Weavile, making this simply the most enticing option when considered relatively. You can go with Tera Ground for shocking extra Earth Power damage to take out certain Steel types in 1 after less chip than otherwise needed, too.
Kingambit @ Leftovers / Air Balloon
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Kowtow Cleave
Kingambit remains one of the best Pokemon in the metagame despite all of the new releases and strategy shifts. It is a timeless presence in SV at this point. I am using a set that exemplefies that nicely as it is not something you would need to use or see at all during the prior editions of SV OU, but it is among the more common Tera options in current SV OU. Tera Ghost Kingambit is able to stifle Skarmory and Corviknight while covering Body Press from Zamazenta, Low Kick from Weavile or opposing Kingambit, and stray fighting moves like Brick Break Roaring Moon, Low Kick Deoxys-Speed, Secret Sword Samurott-H, and Close Combat Iron Valiant.
Tera Ghost is especially nice with Leftovers as it can outlast Skarmory despite Rocky Helmet -- Swords Dance on spare turns to negate RH recoil, but you can opt to use Air Balloon to help with the admiteddly challenging Gliscor match-up as well. If opting for Air Balloon, try to force Iron Valiant in on Skarmory as much as possible to Knock Off Rocky Helmet or force it to exhaust Roosts or switch out at the threat of Encore use or Thunderbolt bluff.
I much prefer a bulkier Kingambit when not using Low Kick for opposing Kingambit as the extra HP goes a very long way towards assuring survivability while limiting Sucker Punch reliance. This spread always lives 2 Ivy Cudgel from Ogerpon-Wellspring after Stealth Rock with Air Balloon or a layer of Spikes with Leftovers, for example. You also survive Adamant Flare Blitz from Boots Gouging Fire from full, Earth Power from Specs Kyurem from full, and Fiery Dance from offensive Volcarona after Stealth Rock always.
Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 64 Atk / 192 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Moonblast
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Encore
Iron Valiant is not in need of a deep description like some of the others. It is a strong offensive presence that hits from both sides on this team. Knock Off is super valuable with the hazard profile of the team, Encore is essential glue to cover an array of common scenarios, and the speed is helpful to alleviate reliance on priority from other team members for revenge killing purposes.
64 attack allows for me to OHKO offensive Heatran and Blissey while helping my odds against Iron Treads after any hazard with Close Combat and the 2HKO odds into Slowking-Galar with Knock Off, which are still not perfect odds by any means. Moonblast still kills Garchomp after a Spike, Kyurem after Stealth Rock, max HP Great Tusk from full, and Iron Jugulis from full. Tera Steel is seldom clicked, but it helps a lot with certain resistances in a pinch, which can save me in specific late-game scenarios.
Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Ice Spinner
- Extreme Speed
Like Iron Valiant, this is a fairly standard variant that does not mandate too much explanation. Tera Normal "E-Killer" Dragonite has been a viable option on offense to help with opposing offense since the beginning of SV in late 2022! It has perhaps seen better days, but it fits the scheme here nicely, especially when I anticipated my opponnt to use offense. Being able to soft-check (emphasis on soft) Ogerpon-Wellspring, Volcarona, Barraskewda, Rillaboom, and Heatran is nice role compression for something with strong priority, satisfasctory coverage, and Multiscale at least. I kept max speed for mirrors as I did not want to be slower than Modest Raging Bolt or Heatran (let alone Volcanion), so at that point it was not worth saving a little bulk for the loss of the occasional Dragonite mirror.
Ice Spinner was big for opposing Dragon types and Gliscor, Earthquake was selected over Fire Punch as I had Tera Ghost Kingambit for Skarmory and Corviknight while Earthquake hits various Pokemon hard, and Dragon Dance/Extreme Speed are just staples at this point, so it goes without saying you get the boost and the main goal of the set. It is fine to use Fire Punch with Tera Fire if you change Kingambit away from Tera Ghost, but I prefer it this way for sure.
Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 136 HP / 4 Def / 152 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Tera Blast
- Morning Sun
Volcarona may seem like a great sweeper -- and it is, but it serves even more as glue for this and countless other teams. Being able to resist Ice while not being weak to Ground is huge for Kyurem, which is a big threat in the teambuilder to most. In addition, Fairy resists do not always fit onto Kingambit teams too easily as it does not always allow for a second Steel type. You even are able to handle opposing Gholdengo and Scizor, which is nice for an offense like this.
Tera Dragon is very good on Volcarona, flipping the match-up into Ogerpon-Wellspring, various weather Pokemon, opposing Volcarona, and Dondozo defensively while allowing you to hit Dragapult, Gouging Fire, Dragonite, Kyurem, Raging Bolt, Roaring Moon, Walking Wake, Dondozo, Garchomp, and various others with Tera Blast. I find Substitute and Tera Ground variants to be used a bit much right now for Slowking-Galar, but this build has two Ground types, Knock Off, and Kingambit, so I did not find that important whatsoever here. Morning Sun felt like a huge addition to the set for longevity when facing the Pokemon Volcarona helps against as glue such as Enamorus, Iron Valiant, Kyurem, and Gholdengo, too.
Speed outruns Kyurem, bulk survives 2 Gliscor Earthquake and one max attack Headlong Rush from Great Tusk from full while tanking Draco Meteor from Archaludon post-Tera if you are +1 special defense. Leftover is thrown specifically into special attack for a plethora of different reasons.
Threats
As the great SupaGmoney always says, although this team is very tough to beat, it is not unbeatable.
Super challenging to swap into for the metagame as a whole right now. With complimentary moves like Knock Off, Superpower, and Play Rough seeing an uptick in usage, it's seldom easy against Ogerpon-Wellspring. If it is Play Rough for Dragonite or has Knock Off + a reliable Stealth Rock setter, it is going to be a matter of putting on immediate pressure, cutting-off openings, and potentially exhausting a timely Tera with Volcarona in order to limit Ogerpon-Wellspring. It is playable as replays above show, but not my favorite encounter.
Gliscor can get dicey with Protect + Toxic shenanigans. I can apply pressure with Ruination, catch Encore turns, Taunt it with Landorus-T, easily 1v1 it with Dragonite's Ice Spinner, and so on, but it tends to get in and stifle some progress. It is why I consider Air Balloon an option on Kingambit, but also there are games where I just trade Kingambit with it since Kingambit easily lives 2 EQs; it just gets dicey depending on how many Pokemon are dead and how it is positioned. Overall, the Samurott-H version and Air Balloon are most secure here, but I took a slight risk knowing my opponent leaned more offensive and I was still able to beat Gliscor regularly on the ladder and in OST, so we ball.
This team also has a slim, but doable, window into opposing stall, but it was not as common on the ladder as I anticipated and I did not expect to encounter it in SPL either.
Hard to switch in-to and matches-up favorably with Ting Lu. I tend to try and pivot around it with Landorus-T and Dragonite while minimizing it to a Spike and Knock rather than being a major threat. Not something that threatens to sweep or plagues me long-term, but you do not want to exhaust Iron Valiant in the early game or fall too far behind either.
Hard to switch into without exhausting Tera if it is Low Kick and you do not always want Kingambit losing Leftovers long-term either. Just a strong Pokemon with irksome STABs.
Shuts down Volcarona, can shut down Dragonite with the right timing/tera, and resists STABs from Valiant. Need to Knock Off lure early and then keep up pressure. It is one of my least favorite match-ups and a super underrated Pokemon.
Uncommon, but hard to navigate as it outruns everything after the Booster Energy and I cannot do much net damage to it with Landorus-T or Ting Lu. Key is to try and force a trade, even with the cost of Tera, with Volcarona or Kingambit by baiting the right sequence. It's not a fun thing to play around and will likely claim most of a kill + a Knock Off or two, which goes a long way.
Forces a Tera Water or a ton of damage on Kingambit, but getting rid of it opens up the game for Volcarona a lot. There's give-and-take, but normally beatable if you play aggressive enough in the context of the game.
Replays
SPL vs mncmt: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-746762, facing Grassy Terrain offense
OST vs Trade: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-747034, facing Regen+Gliscor balance
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2055223554, facing Webs
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054129059?p2, facing Sun
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054091341?p2, facing Trick Room
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2054079249?p2, facing Booster Spam
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2053610146?p2, facing Rain
Ladder: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2053607724, facing Terrain
Acknowledgements
An RMT does not warrant shoutouts; this opportunity should be left for winning a major tournament or reaching some substantial milestone. However, I do want to extent one big thanks to SupaGmoney, Highv0ltag3, and the Stall Discord for inspiring me to make this RMT with this particular format. Join NJNP's server for great OU discussion that may or may not make you wish to punch a hole in a wall.
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