SS OU Rate my Zeraora HO team

[VonC_YJX]

Zeraora @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat

Zeraora is the win condition of the team, it can act as a late-game setup sweeper and cleaner. It not only can deter Volt Switches but put immense pressure on the Opponent as well if they don't have a Grass Type or Ground Type. Heavy-Duty Boots are used to preventing hazard chip damage, especially Toxic spikes. Bulk Up is a setup move used to make Zeraora even harder to revenge kill and sweep more easily. Plasma Fists is its STAB move, Knock Off to revenge kill ghosts like Dragapult or Gengar and remove an item if a Zeraora check switches in. Close Combat is used to smash Zeraora checks like Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Excadrill. If my Opponent runs multiple Ground types, Zeraora instead becomes an item remover and revenge killer.


Mew @ Focus Sash
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Flare Blitz

Mew act as the suicide lead of the team, I picked Mew because of its good speed and bulk. With full EV on HP and Speed, Mew can safely use Taunt to prevent other leads to setup or lay hazards on my side of the field while also guarantee hazards on my opponent's side. Synchronize can punish leads attempting to status Mew, while Focus Sash prevents Mew from being OHKO so it can set up at least a layer of hazards. Flare Blitz is used to suiciding Mew into Steel Types like Corviknight and Excadrill attempting to remove the hazards.


Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Flamethrower
- Giga Drain
- Hurricane

Since Zeraora struggles with Ground Types and Grass Types, I used Volcarona as the special attacker to remove those types so Zeraora can easily sweep later in the game. Volcarona is so strong that sometimes it can end games on its own. I used Heavy-Duty boots so Volcarona doesn't need dedicated support on removing hazards and can come in often from double switching. Flame Body is used to cripple opponents' revenge killers or priority users. Quiver Dance is the go-to boosting move if I predicted a switch to make Volcarona even harder to check. Flamethrower is the STAB used to remove the Grass types and Steel types that might check Zeraora. Giga Drain is for Ground Types that think they can check Volcarona. Hurricane is used to hit common switch-ins to Volcarona like Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Dragapult and threaten to KO them in turn.


Kartana @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Knock Off

Kartana act as the Revenge killer/Cleaner of the team, hence Choice Scarf is used to make Kartana outspeed and KO fast threats like Dragapult and Opposing Zeraora. Beast Boost is a good snowball ability that pressures my Opponent to switch or Kartana will smash shaky checks into KO range. Leaf Blade is STAB-move to remove Ground-Types and Rock-Types, Sacred Sword to wall break Blissey, Dark Types, and Steel Types. Smart Strike is for Ice Types like Kyurem and Fairy Types like Tapu Koko. Knock Off is used to hit Psychic Types like Slowbro and Ghost Types like Dragapult.


Kommo-o @ Throat Spray
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Clanging Scales
- Clangorous Soul
- Boomburst
- Flash Cannon

Kommo-o is the Special Wallbreaker as well as the 2nd win condition of the team. Throat Spray is used to help boost Kommo-o's wall breaking. Bulletproof enables Kommo-o to switch into common moves like Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, and Gyro Ball. Clangorous Soul is the boosting move to get Kommo-o the speed and power it needs to outrun the majority of the metagame. Clanging Scales is used as the very powerful STAB to break walls. Boomburst to break Substitutes and hit everything neutrally. Flash Cannon is used to hit Fairy Types switch-ins.



Cloyster @ Focus Sash
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Liquidation

Finally, I picked the niche Cloyster as the Physical Wallbreaker. I used Focus Sash so Cloyster can almost guarantee to get a Shell Smash up and fire back with its newfound speed. The ability Skill Link turns Icicle Spear and Rock Blast into potent Wallbreaking attacks that few pokemon can resist. Liquidation is the primary STAB to hit Steel Types like Heatran and Excadrill that resist both Icicle Spear and Rock Blast. Icicle Spear is the STAB that can be used to break Dragonite's Multiscale and hit Ferrothorn and Corviknight for huge damage. Rock Blast is to hit opposing Volcarona, Ice Types, and Fire Types.

I found this team really struggles with weather teams, pokemon with Swift Swim or Sand Rush like Dracozolt and Kingdra can easily sweep the team without effort. Feedback is appreciated. Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/0b39a5bdb5364acf

 

[asian_janitor606]

Personaly the only actual adjustment I would do is give one of your pokemon some move sets to imrpove there attack or speed, or if your looking for some kind of stall I suggest getting a move like light screen I think it would help a lot.

 

[asian_janitor606]

Also if your looking for a team to defeat weather teams I would suggest getting a more tanky pokemon for the team to stall a little and give your pokemon a break possibly Aggron?

 

[Smashburn]

Also if your looking for a team to defeat weather teams I would suggest getting a more tanky pokemon for the team to stall a little and give your pokemon a break possibly Aggron?

I don't think that really works, Aggron is generally very useless and outclassed, as well as way too passive for HO. In a HO team like this, I'd suggest a threat like Hawlucha + a terrain setter like Fini (which complements Volcarona not wanting to be statused), Rillaboom (which further helps to break down ground types and weaken their attacks for Zeraora and Volcarona), or Tapu Lele (which prevents Urshifu-R from RK'ing sweepers like Volcarona with Aqua Jet).

Additionally, I think that this team could use a screens setter. Much of the team seems relatively frail, so something to reduce damage and allow for further longevity would be best.

 

[Maxouille]

Hurricane is used to hits common switch-ins to Volcarona like Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Dragapult and threaten to KO them in turn.

Actually Flamethrower hit harder landorus than hurricane because of stab, so are you saying that you count on the hurricane's confusion to deal with this? Why not psychic that still hit those with a reliable accuracy and also allow you to deal with toxapex? Do you get specific Kills with that?

 

[Houseki]

Really like how you optimize the bulk up win con for Zeraora. The usage of Bulletproof on Kommo-o is surprisingly underrated, I would totally fall for that. However as you said, weather probably decimates you, but you can probably still defeat some adamant arctozolts/dracozolts with Zeraora.

However I don't understand Cloyster at all. Does it perform well under rain? I'm curious how you'd use it these days when the likes of corviknight and toxapex are amuck.

 

[VonC_YJX]

Actually Flamethrower hit harder landorus than hurricane because of stab, so are you saying that you count on the hurricane's confusion to deal with this? Why not psychic that still hit those with a reliable accuracy and also allow you to deal with toxapex? Do you get specific Kills with that?

I see, since I struggled with weather teams, Volcarona 100% accuracy hurricane can punish them hard, the confusion chance is a nice bonus. However, Psychic does improve my overall matchup against the rest of the metagame, I'll consider swapping it after a few games.

 

[VonC_YJX]

Really like how you optimize the bulk up win con for Zeraora. The usage of Bulletproof on Kommo-o is surprisingly underrated, I would totally fall for that. However as you said, weather probably decimates you, but you can probably still defeat some adamant arctozolts/dracozolts with Zeraora.

However I don't understand Cloyster at all. Does it perform well under rain? I'm curious how you'd use it these days when the likes of corviknight and toxapex are amuck.

To be honest, IDK who to replace Cloyster for physical wall-breaking, Since I'm playing HO I want a mon that can either break huge holes or sweep for the team. I tried Belly Drum Azumarill but since Rillaboom and Tapu Lele is rampant I kinda go with Cloyster who can at least live 1 hit thanks to Focus sash and not die to the ever-present rocky helmets. Cloyster also has the benefit of forcing the opponent to sacrifice something if it gets to set up for free and have another chance to set up again unlike Azumarill. Although it does struggle to break through Toxapex and Clefable, it has no problems breaking through Corviknight and Ferrothorn.