SV NatDex OU: Inside the NBA
A hopefully half-decent team by yours truly
A hopefully half-decent team by yours truly
The Cast of Characters:
Introduction and Teambuilding Process:
It's been a while since I last posted a team. (studiously ignores past six years) I have probably not gotten any better at this game since then. That being said, I wanted to still try my hand at building a semi-competent NatDex team for the current generation that focuses on helping a meme set sweep. This time, it's Bulk Up physically defensive Mega Pinsir: Sir Charles himself. Looking at the SwSh Strategy Dex entry for Pinsir, Corviknight, Skarmory, and Rotom-Wash seem to be the biggest obstacles to a Pinsir sweep. Skeledirge, Raging Bolt, and Dondozo from SV are also probably annoying as sin to try and deal with. So who else needs to be working in Studio J to help Charles Barkley come on and slam? Removing that list of threats is paramount, as is removing any non-choiced special sweepers and wallbreakers who could attack Pinsir's Special Defense.
Besides this, I also generally have two other criteria most of the teams I use need to meet regardless of the archetype I'm going for unless I have ultra-specfic needs that mandate otherwise. The first is that I'm strangely fixated on having a Fire/Water/Grass core in all of my teams. No, I don't know why, but it SPEAKS to me. I just...like it. Apparently it's a useful type of core to have in VGC? I don't play it, but that's neat. The second is that I like having an even balance between specially and physically-oriented Pokémon on my teams. 3 special, 3 physical, or perhaps a couple of mixed attackers of some stripe (stuff like Diancie or Hisuian Goodra). So this team by and large reflects that philosophy.
Also, I named the team after a basketball talk show because I'm not funny. Ignore the Tera Types, they're in the copy/paste.
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Sets and Explanations
charles barkley (Pinsir-Mega) @ Pinsirite
Ability: Aerilate
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Brick Break/Quick Attack
The team's cornerstone. Charles Barkley is intended to finish battles unless the perfect setup opportunity mid-bout has been secured. The Round Mound of Rebound should typically be looking for a time with no hazards on your side of the field to come in, set up at least two Bulk Ups, and clean house. The EVs are there because max HP investment and 4 EVs in Def give as much physical bulk as possible while also doing what they can to help out Chuck's SpD stat. Brick Break is listed because catching out Kingambit, Hisuian-Samurott, or Ferrothorn might be worth sacrificing the priority of Quick Attack. I toyed with Revenge but it's not gonna help you against things like Melmetal or non-Rapid Spin Modest Terapagos. Beware of Rock-Types, obviously. Scope Lens Accelerock Lycanroc makes The Chuckster cry.
erneh donson (Great Tusk) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Headlong Rush
- Ice Spinner
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
Hazard removal, first and foremost, but there are a couple of matchups Erneh's here to help Chuck against. Raging Bolt and Glimmora are both very dangerous to Pinsir and must be taken out ASAP. Booster Energy into Attack ensures this, especially if Glimorra can have its Focus Sash negated. The only relevant threat, unboosted at least, whom you don't outspeed with Elevator EJ after one Rapid Spin is Regileki. I'm not sure who the relevant Choice Scarfers or Speed Booster Energy threats are that Erneh will need to beware of after a Spin quite yet though. Keep the inaugural Black Masters champion alive until all the enemy hazard setters are gone!
san antonio women (Kyurem) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Roost
They got some big ol' women in Lacunosa Town, Victoria is a secret down there! I think it's a beautiful town, Kyurem has the best STAB combination in the OU tier, they just got some big ol' women. You want Gliscor gone? So do I! Do you want Heatran and Ogerpon-Wellspring lured in? So do I! This is the bog-standard SubRoost set from Smogon's Strategy Dex, but it's here to eat status moves from the likes of Rotom-Wash and retaliate back with Freeze-Dry or Earth Power. This set is good against Raging Bolt, which is always a plus in my eyes, even if it's just to waste Thunderclap PP. Not being a total chump against Ferrothorn is nice too, especially since I can't surprise it with Fire-Type Tera Blast anymore. Kyurem built this way will hopefully make stallmons think twice about spamming annoying status moves left, right, and center before the only legendary with TWO box covers in a single generation makes them double fist those churros.
koko the jet (Tapu Koko) @ Electrium Z
Ability: Electric Surge
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost/Dazzling Gleam
Kenny 'The Jet' Smith, this set's namesake, is a first-rate instigator of shenanigans on Inside the NBA, and Tapu Koko is a first-rate instigator of Quark Drive bullshit in National Dex OU. Tapu Koko is the first half of the anti-CorvSkarm component of this team. Electrium-Z is an excellent "nuke this" button despite compounding the team's need for multiple answers to Raging Bolt, and Koko's frailty further compounding the overall annoyance strong priority moves cause to this team. (I'm looking at YOU, Choice Band ESpeed Dragonite.) I'm envisioning using this as an anti-lead against most things, using U-Turn to quickly pivot out of poor matchups or maybe catching something 4x weak to HP Ice later in a battle. Roost is probably most useful if you're playing mind games with a Kingambit that's already gotten a couple Supreme Overlord buffs. Dazzling Gleam is there if some Fighting Types or stuff that might be 4x weak to Fairy (Kommo-o or Hydreigon, I guess) is causing you an issue. Oh, and just like its namesake, Tapu Koko doesn't have a working pair of knees.
undermoth (Iron Moth) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 40 Def / 132 SpA / 84 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fiery Dance
- Sludge Wave
- Energy Ball
- Psychic
UNDERMOTH, PUT THAT ON A T-SHIRT! The other half of the anti-CorvSkarm component of this team, and one-half of the FWG core. Pulls double-duty on this team: kills the steel birds and does its best to eliminate opposing Tapus or Rillaboom. Originally this was the baseline Heavy Duty Boots pivot set from the strategy dex, but I was told that Speed Booster Energy could still outspeed and OHKO Tapu Lele most (I.E. roughly 75%) of the time under Electric Terrain. Psychic replaces U-Turn because otherwise it realistically won't do well against opposing Poison-Types without a Fiery Dance boost or 2HKO Glimmora. You're guaranteed to take on opposing Tapu Koko's unboosted TBolt (I.E. no Choice Specs, no crit) under Electric Terrain and one Scald from physically defensive Tapu Fini with these EVs, but if you wanna take two unboosted Scalds, move those Def EVs into SpD.
shrektin' a fool (Ogerpon-Wellspring) @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip
- Superpower
What? He's Shrektin' a Fool. Huh? Shrektin' a Fool. The other half of the FWG core and a key Ground resist for the team. Big Diesel is really not there to do much besides deal with Rotom-Wash and occasionally pick off Kingambit or opposing Kyurem with Superpower. I guess if you really need Urshifu-R or Glimmora gone ASAP, Ogerpon is there to help you do that as well. I guess the physical bulk on this is underwhelming and you have to be super judicious about when Ogerpon comes in, but you could maybe use this as an alternate sweeper in a pinch. It's a damned Ogerpon, it's gonna be useful somehow unless you're up against a team that's literally Yanmega/Skarmory/Corviknight/Celesteela/Mega Altaria/Dhelmise LMAO.
Sets and Explanations
charles barkley (Pinsir-Mega) @ Pinsirite
Ability: Aerilate
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Brick Break/Quick Attack
The team's cornerstone. Charles Barkley is intended to finish battles unless the perfect setup opportunity mid-bout has been secured. The Round Mound of Rebound should typically be looking for a time with no hazards on your side of the field to come in, set up at least two Bulk Ups, and clean house. The EVs are there because max HP investment and 4 EVs in Def give as much physical bulk as possible while also doing what they can to help out Chuck's SpD stat. Brick Break is listed because catching out Kingambit, Hisuian-Samurott, or Ferrothorn might be worth sacrificing the priority of Quick Attack. I toyed with Revenge but it's not gonna help you against things like Melmetal or non-Rapid Spin Modest Terapagos. Beware of Rock-Types, obviously. Scope Lens Accelerock Lycanroc makes The Chuckster cry.
erneh donson (Great Tusk) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Headlong Rush
- Ice Spinner
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
Hazard removal, first and foremost, but there are a couple of matchups Erneh's here to help Chuck against. Raging Bolt and Glimmora are both very dangerous to Pinsir and must be taken out ASAP. Booster Energy into Attack ensures this, especially if Glimorra can have its Focus Sash negated. The only relevant threat, unboosted at least, whom you don't outspeed with Elevator EJ after one Rapid Spin is Regileki. I'm not sure who the relevant Choice Scarfers or Speed Booster Energy threats are that Erneh will need to beware of after a Spin quite yet though. Keep the inaugural Black Masters champion alive until all the enemy hazard setters are gone!
san antonio women (Kyurem) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Roost
They got some big ol' women in Lacunosa Town, Victoria is a secret down there! I think it's a beautiful town, Kyurem has the best STAB combination in the OU tier, they just got some big ol' women. You want Gliscor gone? So do I! Do you want Heatran and Ogerpon-Wellspring lured in? So do I! This is the bog-standard SubRoost set from Smogon's Strategy Dex, but it's here to eat status moves from the likes of Rotom-Wash and retaliate back with Freeze-Dry or Earth Power. This set is good against Raging Bolt, which is always a plus in my eyes, even if it's just to waste Thunderclap PP. Not being a total chump against Ferrothorn is nice too, especially since I can't surprise it with Fire-Type Tera Blast anymore. Kyurem built this way will hopefully make stallmons think twice about spamming annoying status moves left, right, and center before the only legendary with TWO box covers in a single generation makes them double fist those churros.
koko the jet (Tapu Koko) @ Electrium Z
Ability: Electric Surge
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost/Dazzling Gleam
Kenny 'The Jet' Smith, this set's namesake, is a first-rate instigator of shenanigans on Inside the NBA, and Tapu Koko is a first-rate instigator of Quark Drive bullshit in National Dex OU. Tapu Koko is the first half of the anti-CorvSkarm component of this team. Electrium-Z is an excellent "nuke this" button despite compounding the team's need for multiple answers to Raging Bolt, and Koko's frailty further compounding the overall annoyance strong priority moves cause to this team. (I'm looking at YOU, Choice Band ESpeed Dragonite.) I'm envisioning using this as an anti-lead against most things, using U-Turn to quickly pivot out of poor matchups or maybe catching something 4x weak to HP Ice later in a battle. Roost is probably most useful if you're playing mind games with a Kingambit that's already gotten a couple Supreme Overlord buffs. Dazzling Gleam is there if some Fighting Types or stuff that might be 4x weak to Fairy (Kommo-o or Hydreigon, I guess) is causing you an issue. Oh, and just like its namesake, Tapu Koko doesn't have a working pair of knees.
undermoth (Iron Moth) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 40 Def / 132 SpA / 84 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fiery Dance
- Sludge Wave
- Energy Ball
- Psychic
UNDERMOTH, PUT THAT ON A T-SHIRT! The other half of the anti-CorvSkarm component of this team, and one-half of the FWG core. Pulls double-duty on this team: kills the steel birds and does its best to eliminate opposing Tapus or Rillaboom. Originally this was the baseline Heavy Duty Boots pivot set from the strategy dex, but I was told that Speed Booster Energy could still outspeed and OHKO Tapu Lele most (I.E. roughly 75%) of the time under Electric Terrain. Psychic replaces U-Turn because otherwise it realistically won't do well against opposing Poison-Types without a Fiery Dance boost or 2HKO Glimmora. You're guaranteed to take on opposing Tapu Koko's unboosted TBolt (I.E. no Choice Specs, no crit) under Electric Terrain and one Scald from physically defensive Tapu Fini with these EVs, but if you wanna take two unboosted Scalds, move those Def EVs into SpD.
shrektin' a fool (Ogerpon-Wellspring) @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip
- Superpower
What? He's Shrektin' a Fool. Huh? Shrektin' a Fool. The other half of the FWG core and a key Ground resist for the team. Big Diesel is really not there to do much besides deal with Rotom-Wash and occasionally pick off Kingambit or opposing Kyurem with Superpower. I guess if you really need Urshifu-R or Glimmora gone ASAP, Ogerpon is there to help you do that as well. I guess the physical bulk on this is underwhelming and you have to be super judicious about when Ogerpon comes in, but you could maybe use this as an alternate sweeper in a pinch. It's a damned Ogerpon, it's gonna be useful somehow unless you're up against a team that's literally Yanmega/Skarmory/Corviknight/Celesteela/Mega Altaria/Dhelmise LMAO.
Conclusion:
I can see two main problems with this team: lack of hazard setting and a glaring vulnerability to priority. Strong Ground-type STAB users, especially on the physical side, may also be a pain as well, especially if Ogerpon has taken more than 25% chip damage, I'd wager. Watching out for Landorus-Therian, Garchomp, and opposing Greak Tusk will be key. I think that overall this is a team that when used by a player who is much much better than I am, can get some good results, like my last team did, despite 4/6 members of that Gen 7 NU squad running meme sets.
