SV OU Tera Fairy Roaring Moon Bulky Offense (Current peak #301)

[carbonlifeform]

I'm currently at my SVOU peak with this team at 1830 ELO, and it doesn't feel like it's slowing down, so I thought I'd share to get some feedback and because there are a couple of techs that I'm feeling good about. I'm mostly just psyched that I've finally built a bulky offense team that feels like it's got legs, since bulky offense feels like it's been at the mercy of HO for almost this whole generation.

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EDIT: Latest Paste can be found here

@ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 116 SpD / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Roost
- Crunch
- Tera Blast

This emmer effer here is the star of the show, no questions asked. It's an updated, super-charged take on a Flygon set that I tinkered with religiously in Sw/Sh RU for a good chunk of the generation and found a lot of success with. The basic idea is just "moar boosts better" combined with "live longer, kill more things", so you sacrifice a bit of initial power (~10% difference between 0 Atk Adamant and 252 Atk Jolly) and speed (currently tuned to outrun max speed Lando, but will probably toy with other benchmarks) to create more opportunities to set up and to keep the party going once you're in. Or, depending on the MU, you can just use your bulk and resistance profile to act as a high-power pivot.

A variation on this set would probably be feasible in a Tera-less metagame, but Tera makes it Exceedingly Dumb. Why? Because Tera Fairy is the *perfect* complement to Roaring Moon's base typing. Defensively, it actively resists or is immune to 3 of Roaring Moon's original 5 weaknesses while being neutral to the other two and maintaining a key resistance to Dark Types. For a speed-boosting setup sweeper, it's particularly notable that it loses a weakness to Ice Shard, turns a Mach Punch weakness into a resistance, and maintains a resistance to Sucker Punch. Offensively, the combo of Dark and Fairy is resisted only by Tinkaton and Klefki now that Magearna is in ubers.

All that being true, it's trivial to get this thing to +2/+2 or +3/+3 against targets like Zapdos, Heatran, choice-locked Gholdengo or Walking Wake, Glowking, Pelipper, and a zillion other setup targets. Hell, you can hard switch into Volc and win unless they're packing Bug Buzz and you pick the wrong time to Tera. At that point, you let the stupid power of Dark/Fairy "STAB" go to work. If Booster Energy is still active, that can be game right there.

@ Leftovers
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 112 Def / 252 SpD / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake

Other than Unaware `mons, the biggest single threat to a Roaring Moon sweep is, unsurprisingly, Kingambit. You've got to be at at least +3 to have a shot to OHKO with Tera Blast or else die to Iron Head, and despite a Dark resist, Gambit's absurd power can still chunk a weakened Roaring Moon for ~30% with max Supreme Overlord. Enter the best Kingambit counter in the game (excluding Tera Fairy shenanigans) and also, for utterly inexplicable reasons, my favorite new `mon in Gen9.

This is a new Iron Hands set for me, filling in a role normally served by defensive Great Tusk. Iron Hands carries a few advantages over Tusk in a defensive role beyond being a stronger Gambit deterrent:

• It has vastly improved Special bulk (driven largely by its massive natural HP, which allows it to invest more liberally in its raw defensive stats). 0HP/252SpD Iron Hands has ~8% more Special Bulk than 252HP/252+SpD Great Tusk (which is why nobody runs that set). To highlight: Tera Fairy Booster Valiant is a roll in your favor to avoid the OHKO.
• Its neutral hit profile is better, having only three weaknesses (even if ground and fairy are significant weaknesses), which combos very well with dat bulk
• Drain Punch adds longevity, generating some decent recovery even against resists switching in and offsetting the lower physical bulk.
• Not having access to Knock/Spin/Rocks is a net negative, but it also means that you don't "lose out" by not using any of that utility. Instead, you can just run Protect (to scout sets, waste weather/terrain/TR turns, and gain extra lefties recovery) and coverage.

Fighting/Ice/Ground coverage hits just about everything. Giving up Thunder Punch can leave you wanting on occasion, but having nothing for the obvious ground switch-in (especially Lando) is worse. 148 Spe is just a tick for me at this point (to creep `mons trying to creep 4 Spe Corv), and it's probably worth sacrificing some or all of that into Def, but it is nice to be able to threaten pre-Tera Dirge on the switch with a 2HKO with EQ.

@ Choice Scarf
Ability: Contrary
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Healing Wish

Pre-Home, I ran either Scarf Valiant, H-Wish Hatt, or both on the majority of my teams, so it should be no surprise that I'm already a big fan of Scarf Enamorus. Enamorus offers fantastic speed Control, hitting virtually everything faster than the bulky Roaring Moon set for SE damage between Moonblast and Earth Power. I was running mixed with Super Power, but the 8 pp really lets it down, and Sludge Bomb means Gholdengo isn't on an island against things that might want to Tera Fairy. Healing Wish brings back Iron Hands to close out a match 80% of the time I use it, but can also set Roaring Moon up for another chance at a sweep. Sometimes you just launch it early to buffer it when you've got multiple healthy `mons if you know Enamorus isn't gonna make any more progress in the match.

@ Air Balloon
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 232 HP / 244 Def / 32 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Make It Rain
- Recover
- Thunder Wave

Bulky Air Balloon Gholdengo has been my jam since the beginning of the gen, and it's making a comeback with recent meta trends. Before Air Balloon is popped, it abuses choice-locked Enamorus/Lando, blanks ESpeed/EQ Dragonite, and forces Tusk and Ursaluna into guessing games. Without the Balloon, it still puts in work against Valiant, Hatt, Scream Tail, choice-locked Bax, and others.

32 Spe to outrun 4 Spe Great Tusk. Make It Rain is essential as I'm otherwise lacking in ways to beat Tera Fairy Garg. Seriously considering either swapping Shadow Ball for Hex or TWave for Nasty Plot. Probably try Hex first to help the MU against Pex and other bulkier `mons.

@ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Steam Eruption
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Will-O-Wisp

Volcanion really fleshes out the defensive backbone of the team, offering a water immunity and a (4x) fire resist to cover those bases if/after Roaring Moon clicks tera along with an ice resist and a second Fairy resist. Oh, yeah, and the insanity of Steam Eruption. This is a set that could use some tinkering, though. I haven't played around with different EV spreads at all, and I might very well look into a variation on the set Finchinator posted earlier today in the SV OU Metagame Discussion thread. Swapping out Earth Power for Sludge Bomb here and transitioning Enamorus to the more conventional Mystical Fire is also on the table.

@ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Wind Rider
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
- Strength Sap
- Power Whip

The weirdo of the squad. I was super satisfied with the offensive/defensive profile of the other five but realized I had no hazard...anything. Enter Brambleghast, the ultimate hazard role compression. Sets spikes, spins, and spin blocks without putting Gholdengo in harm's way. Also absolutely sits on Zapdos and a surprising number of other threats thanks to Wind Rider, harasses things with Strength Sap...In the worst case, it sets a layer of Spikes and acts as an easy sac to bring in a check to a big threat. In the best case, it drives the opposing hazard setters and/or removal absolutely bonkers.

Biggest threats/weaknesses are:</p><p>Dragapult: with pre-Tera Roaring Moon as my only Ghost resist, there's pretty much nothing that can safely switch in.
Tera Water Garg: Zero Grass or Electric coverage means I need to aggressively seek opportunities to start a Roaring Moon sweep to prevent Curse sets from putting me in a major bind
Dirge/Dozo: Both of these things are major roadblocks to Roaring Moon, and while I've got some okay Dirge counterplay if I can force its tera early, Dozo can be harder. It's one of the stronger cases for transitioning Gholdengo to Hex
EQ: I've got three ground weak `mons and Tusk is still the most splashable thing in the tier, Lando is back, and Ursaluna is tearing stuff up, so...that can be a challenge.
Screens: I've got plenty of ways to stall out or counter weather and TR teams, but screens are still a massive pain. I've pretty much got to lead Enamorus against any "Dragapult Screens HO"-looking team.


Replays:
Roaring Moon claims 3+:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1880527665-fh5j9216wg727z8ghtf6czb3mao5boypw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1880536817-oa9odjplgoydqap2mb56jk3vhgfd0hrpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1881272200
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1881246533
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1880648536

Team Efforts:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1881349715-dupqwn8bnydqry0p1nuk2lhdogqvjj6pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1881256496-5a2rtaeh5lsiqfh9wxffhg2b8nljxkvpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1880546991-ap6n49wxctatv0t7qcs8s5l5k1vbrdppw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1880770432

I get obliterated by Screens:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1881244544-37phghw54r7e91bhde2kw67lr6urj09pw

 

[Soosthemoose]

Really sick team, congrats on the peak, it seems incredibly unique and fun!

 

[Jimmy Jangoes]

Been playing this team, super fun to play with. Really fun and unique, well done!

 

[carbonlifeform]

A few tweaks https://pokepast.es/f7f84955faf7abc4

SpAtk drop on Mystical Fire makes it a useful neutral play into an expected switch to help make life easier on your response.

Hex on Gholdengo vastly improves the MU against Dozo, Pex, Amoonguss and others. Updated the EV spread to outrun +1 Bax after a para, though Tera Ground Bax is still a nightmare for this team.

AoA Volcanion with both Sludge Bomb and Earth Power does a much better job of softening/breaking defensive cores. Tera type there is still just a big ???. I was running Ghost to abuse Urshifu (and Dozo) but that's not a concern any more. Thinking I'll go back to Ground and swap to Fairy on Enamorus for the sweeping power?

Mixing in some Def EVs with the HP on Brambleghast makes sure it can survive a Knock from 252 Atk Great Tusk. Slightly lower HP investment also means your Strength Saps go farther, but don't want to drop it too low so that you retain some longevity against Zapdos. Also, I was sorely underrating this thing earlier. It makes life miserable for Ting Lu, since Whirlwind activates Wind Rider. Uninvested Power Whip still chunks neutral hits and is your best weapon against Tera Water Garg. Strength Sap will always make sure you're vastly outpacing Salt Cure/EQ damage (and you're immune to Body Press) meaning it's feasible to run it out of Recovers if you get the drop on it early.

Only other thing I really want to mess with is the speed on Iron Hands, but it all comes down to Dirge trends. If Dirge is generally running speed investment, Hands really wants to, too. If it isn't, then hitting that sweet spot between uninvested Dirge and uninvested Corv is really nice to smack Corv with Drain Punch on the roost.

In any case, I hit 1900 for a second the other day, but `mons is one of my primary ADHD outlets, and my love of the yolo play makes it very hard for me to be consistent. Hovering in the mid 1700s to mid 1800s is a huge feat for me (usually I'm bouncing rapidly between 1300 and 1600), which makes me feel pretty confident that a more reliable player could use it better.