Team "Zero Suit Samus"
To begin, this has nothing to do with Zero Suit Samus, I've noticed teams that have a clever name get more rates :). Anyway, this team is based around a custom mix set Lucario and is currently in testing in Shoddy. So let's get started:
Team at a Glance:
The Team:
"Obamatar" the Tyranitar @ Focus Sash
Adamant "Sand Stream"
252 HP / 32 Atk / 224 SpD
- Stone Edge
- Payback
- Stealth Rock
- Rest
The lead, a Tyranitar. Some might think it odd unless on a sandstorm team, but to be honest we first looked at this lead as a surprise factor and were about to make a custom set before we realized that there was a good set on smogon. It actually looks really solid and has synergy with the team; it compliments it as half is immune to the sandstorm and what is around that isn't immune isn't bothered by it much at all. The sandstorm breaks any Focus Sashes that the other team may be carrying. The Tyranitar's moveset itself is also valuable to the team. It sets up our rocks, and has STAB Stone Edge against any flying types that may be switched in on our Shaymin and it takes care of those pesky Honchkrows. Payback in combination with the "Sand Stream" ability takes out common Azelf leads by breaking their sash and one hitting it with STAB super-effective double powered Payback. Then finally rest cures any status ailments and keeps him generally more healthy. He is rather bulky and has a great attack stat, and so he can be switched back in late game as coverage.
"Obamarie" the Starmie @ Life Orb
Timid "Natural Cure"
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic
- Ice Beam
Our Starmie was chosen for it's great coverage and it's resistance to two of Lucario's weaknesses, Fire and Ground. It runs with a standard special sweep set/EVs. Ice Beam helps take care of Flying and Dragons, Surf is for STAB that takes out Fire and Ground, Psychic for STAB against Fighting, Lucario's third weakness, and Thunderbolt to take out flyers and water types that try to switch in. He also is a great status absorber as he can switch out and heal, of course the above statements about Starmie are obvious, but if you can manage to bluff a choice item it can surprise the opponent. Overall Starmie is a great pokemon, his coverage is amazing, he absorbs status, and he has coverage/resistance to all of the main poke's weaknesses, making him very valuable to the team.
"Obamarachi" the Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Jolly "Serence Grace"
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- Fire Punch
- U-turn
Ahh, the infamous flich hax Jirachi. This thing is the bane of most battlers. I've 6-0'd entire teams with a combination of flinch hax and it's great coverage. This is dreaded for good reason. It has Ice and Fire Punch for coverage, U-turn to scout and to put me in advantageous situations, and Iron Head to flinch hax people's lives away. It's item, nature, and EV's are obvious. It's possibly one of the best revenge killers in OU, as we're using it here and that's really all that there is to say about this outrageous pokemon. All I can say is that Jirachi is my favorite legendary. <3
"Obaymin" the Shaymin @ Choice Specs
Modest "Natural Cure"
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Seed Flare
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Air Slash
We chose the choice specs special sweeper variant. It's choice specs coupled with it's 110 natural attack (Nature x Base) makes this Shaymin quite deadly, with excellent coverage. It also acts as a status absorber. Air Slash can flinch, Seed Flare is outrageous STAB, Earth Power is great coverage as well as HP [Fire]. It also resists and kills one of Lucario's weaknesses.
"Obamanoir" the Dusknoir @ Leftovers
Impish "Pressure"
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
- Pain Split
- Shadow Sneak
- Will-o-Wisp
- Ice Punch
With Lucario's primary weaknesses all being primary types in OU, and 2 of them being mostly physical we thought we should have a physical wall. We do have a Blissey on stand-by as a special wall, just incase, but logically the physical wall seems more useful. He also acts as a Rapid Spin blocker. His special defense's natural base matches his defense base, so he generally also works as a weaker special wall. His moves are quite obvious, Pain Split is his heal and a great damager simultaneously. Will-o-wisp puts status and forces switches, ends sweeps, etc. Ice Punch provides coverage, and Shadow Sneak is STAB priority that can help take out Gengars, Rotoms, psychics, etc. He has 2 immunities, and can take Lucario's other weaknesses as well. Overall he's a good wall, though he's not very fast.
And the star of the show :D
"Obamacario" the Lucario @ Life Orb
Naive "Inner Focus"
80 Atk / 212 SpA / 216 Spe
- Aura Sphere
- ExtremeSpeed
- Dark Pulse
- Earthquake
This is the main pokemon that this team is based around. It's a custom mix set. It's EV's are a somewhat standard mix EV, we took 40 from the SpA, as Lucario naturally has higher SpA and since it has a 2 - 2 mix of physical and special moves, and put it into the Atk. Aura Sphere is reliable STAB that takes out quite a few types. ExtremeSpeed is to revenge and finish off anything that doesn't survive it's other moves. Dark Pulse is for coverage, mostly for ghosts and psychics that are fairly prevalant in OU, and Earthquake is to take out fires and grounds switched in, with a notable 4x damage to Heatran that usually counters Lucario, plus steels in general. We're really hopeful for this set, as Lucario is one of our favorite pokemon and it just always seemed like it was meant to be special, with Aura Sphere being it's signature move.
Final Thoughts:
This team has great coverage, and at first glance the Lucario set looks rather unpractical, but we'd like to think that it can be good when paired for this team. The only thing we really don't like is that we only have one water move, Starmie's STAB Surf, which is powerful, but if Starmie is taken out it can be a problem perhaps. And Dusknoir may be switched out with the Blissey that will be posted after this, but we don't see the practicality of a special wall for a pokemon that's weaknesses are primarily physical; however the Blissey can heal not only itself but the rest of the team, but that requires a lot of switching and that generally requires a rapid spinner which would require a rework of the whole team. Anyway, thank you for your time and leave any suggestions that you all think to be good for the team to make it better. Thanks :D
Sub-Out Blissey?:
"HealthCare" the Blissey @ Leftovers
Bold "Natural Cure"
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
- Wish
- Protect
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
This standard Wish-Bliss walls specials to no end. It can heal itself and the rest of the team with Wish, it can scout moves with Protect, and force status switches with Toxic. Seismic Toss being it's reliable constant 100 damage. It's health pool is amazing along with it's defenses, making it the best special wall in the game, but it makes more sense to run the Dusknoir.
