Team at a glance:
Import:
Zeraora @ Life Orb
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 60 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 192 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Knock Off
Zeraora has a lot going for it, and with its insane speed tier, I feel like Life Orb is the perfect item to let it clean up the late game. I really wanted to see how this pokemon would do, and I've been enjoying it so far. Plasma Fists, Close Combat, and HP Ice are all really good coverage moves allowing it to force out or KO a majority of the OU tier like Tapu Fini, Ferrothorn, and Lando-T. I swapped out Volt Switch for Knock Off, since I wasn't using Volt Switch all that often due to this being my late game closer, and I needed something to chip Lando-T to weaken it further for an HP Ice.
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Baneful Bunker
- Haze
Toxapex is a really good wall, especially when teamed up with an electric immunity. I needed something to pressure Greninja, and other special threats without losing too much momentum, since Regenerator doesn't punish me for switching out. T-Spikes help wear down the enemy team for Zeraora, but with Lando-T, Kartana, Lati@s, Clefable, Alakazam, and others being pretty meta, I din't get as much value out of them as I would like. Scald is there for the burn chance, and so I'm not complete taunt bait. Baneful Bunker is just really good for being annoying, and I decided to go with Haze to prevent being set up bait for potential sweepers. I felt like I didn't really need Toxic between Scald and T-Spikes, and after playing a few battles, I definitely want Haze. Overall, Toxapex has been doing really well, and has won me a few games.
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Celesteela makes a really good partner for Toxapex, soaking up those Ground and Psychic type attacks while appreciating Zeraora's Volt Absorb. I hate this pokemon so much due to how bulky it is, and this is the worst set. Leech Seed and Protect make a really good combo, letting Celesteela heal back up and forcing switches. Heavy Slam stops Clefable from setting up, and Flamethrower is good coverage for things that I would otherwise struggle against like Ferrothorn and Kartana. I can tell opponents are struggling a lot to break through this core, and this is probably the best set I could be using for my team. Even if I hate this pokemon and feel like a dirty player for running it, I can't deny it's been working wonders.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
Lando hardly needs an explanation, since it's good on just about every team, but I'll delve a little bit into why I chose this specific set. I needed a reliable Stealth Rock setter, and another electric immunity would be great, so it only seemed natural. U-turn is there to maintain momentum and to complete the Volt-Turn synergy. The defensive set has been working out really well, and I was planning on using a Choice Scarf for another pokemon. Lando still remains a solid pokemon after all this time, and I honestly don't think I have to go into too much detail as to why.
Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 156 Def / 112 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Will-O-Wisp
- Soft-Boiled
- Defog
After restaK suggested Mew, I thought it made a lot of sense. Mew has the hazard removal I was looking for, coupled with decent bulk and utility. It's proven to be a good partner, and I'm enjoying having Mew on the team much more than Excadrill. Since I already have Greninja and Zeraora running ice moves, I thought Psychic would made the most sense, and would allow Mew to weaken things pretty reliably, bar dark types. Will-O-Wisp is always useful and a safe move to go for when you're not sure what the opponent is going to switch in. I'm really liking mew so far, so thank you for the suggestion.
Greninja (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
I needed a good special counterpart to Zeraora, and Greninja was the first thing that came to my mind. I settled on the Protean set over Ash-Greninja due to the fact I needed a lot of coverage. With Excadrill gone, I put Choice Scarf back on Greninja, and it feels great. Other changes I made were to Greninja's movepool. I chose Ice Beam over Gunk Shot because I felt like I needed the extra power against Zygarde more than I needed a shaky move against Clefairy, when I already have Celesteela. Rock Slide is there over Grass Knot for the likes of Volcarona, who is otherwise a massive threat. Protean is a hard hitter, and Greninja is proving to be a very lethal pokemon late game where it cleans up very well with Zeraora.
Team Synergy/Goal:
The main goal of the team is to carefully whittle down the enemy team until it's weak enough to let Zeraora or Greninja clean up. How I normally go about this is switching between Celesteela, Toxapex, and Landorus T, setting up hazards, generally being annoying, until I can safely bring in one of my closures to pick up kills or blow through walls. The main defensive core isn't really threatened by all that much. It's a proven core a lot of people have used, and for good reason.
Threats:
Kyurem-Black:
This thing is so hard to deal with. I don't really have a switch into it, due to the insane coverage it gets, and it seems like I have to sack something every time the opponent switches one in so I have a shot at taking it down. I haven't gone up against one since I swapped in Mew, so I don't know if that help alleviate some pressure, but still a very annoying pokemon that's a struggle to take down.
Magearna:
Normally I can at least weaken it and slowly get rid of it, but it's an automatic loss if this thing is behind screens. It has quite a few set up opportunities on my more passive members, and once it's rolling, it's a bit too bulky for me to take down.
Set up sweepers:
My lack of priority can make it tough to stop sweepers if they got rolling, especially if that specific sweeper can KO Toxapex before I use Haze.
Conclusion:
This team has been working out really well, and I'm happy with the results, but I need some help fine tuning some of the details. The main points I'm looking for feedback on is trying out new hazard removers, and optimizing movesets. Excadrill is fine, but I'm not satisfied with it, and I feel like I have a couple movesets that could be improved upon. Honestly, it's the first team I've created since coming back to battling a little while ago, and could use some general advice. Thank you for taking the time to read through my team, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions; they are very much appreciated.
Import:
Zeraora @ Life Orb
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 60 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 192 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Knock Off
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Baneful Bunker
- Haze
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 156 Def / 112 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Will-O-Wisp
- Soft-Boiled
- Defog
Greninja (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 60 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 192 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Knock Off
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Baneful Bunker
- Haze
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 156 Def / 112 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Will-O-Wisp
- Soft-Boiled
- Defog
Greninja (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
Zeraora @ Life Orb
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 60 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 192 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Knock Off
Zeraora has a lot going for it, and with its insane speed tier, I feel like Life Orb is the perfect item to let it clean up the late game. I really wanted to see how this pokemon would do, and I've been enjoying it so far. Plasma Fists, Close Combat, and HP Ice are all really good coverage moves allowing it to force out or KO a majority of the OU tier like Tapu Fini, Ferrothorn, and Lando-T. I swapped out Volt Switch for Knock Off, since I wasn't using Volt Switch all that often due to this being my late game closer, and I needed something to chip Lando-T to weaken it further for an HP Ice.
Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Baneful Bunker
- Haze
Toxapex is a really good wall, especially when teamed up with an electric immunity. I needed something to pressure Greninja, and other special threats without losing too much momentum, since Regenerator doesn't punish me for switching out. T-Spikes help wear down the enemy team for Zeraora, but with Lando-T, Kartana, Lati@s, Clefable, Alakazam, and others being pretty meta, I din't get as much value out of them as I would like. Scald is there for the burn chance, and so I'm not complete taunt bait. Baneful Bunker is just really good for being annoying, and I decided to go with Haze to prevent being set up bait for potential sweepers. I felt like I didn't really need Toxic between Scald and T-Spikes, and after playing a few battles, I definitely want Haze. Overall, Toxapex has been doing really well, and has won me a few games.
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Celesteela makes a really good partner for Toxapex, soaking up those Ground and Psychic type attacks while appreciating Zeraora's Volt Absorb. I hate this pokemon so much due to how bulky it is, and this is the worst set. Leech Seed and Protect make a really good combo, letting Celesteela heal back up and forcing switches. Heavy Slam stops Clefable from setting up, and Flamethrower is good coverage for things that I would otherwise struggle against like Ferrothorn and Kartana. I can tell opponents are struggling a lot to break through this core, and this is probably the best set I could be using for my team. Even if I hate this pokemon and feel like a dirty player for running it, I can't deny it's been working wonders.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
Lando hardly needs an explanation, since it's good on just about every team, but I'll delve a little bit into why I chose this specific set. I needed a reliable Stealth Rock setter, and another electric immunity would be great, so it only seemed natural. U-turn is there to maintain momentum and to complete the Volt-Turn synergy. The defensive set has been working out really well, and I was planning on using a Choice Scarf for another pokemon. Lando still remains a solid pokemon after all this time, and I honestly don't think I have to go into too much detail as to why.
Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 156 Def / 112 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Will-O-Wisp
- Soft-Boiled
- Defog
After restaK suggested Mew, I thought it made a lot of sense. Mew has the hazard removal I was looking for, coupled with decent bulk and utility. It's proven to be a good partner, and I'm enjoying having Mew on the team much more than Excadrill. Since I already have Greninja and Zeraora running ice moves, I thought Psychic would made the most sense, and would allow Mew to weaken things pretty reliably, bar dark types. Will-O-Wisp is always useful and a safe move to go for when you're not sure what the opponent is going to switch in. I'm really liking mew so far, so thank you for the suggestion.
Greninja (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
I needed a good special counterpart to Zeraora, and Greninja was the first thing that came to my mind. I settled on the Protean set over Ash-Greninja due to the fact I needed a lot of coverage. With Excadrill gone, I put Choice Scarf back on Greninja, and it feels great. Other changes I made were to Greninja's movepool. I chose Ice Beam over Gunk Shot because I felt like I needed the extra power against Zygarde more than I needed a shaky move against Clefairy, when I already have Celesteela. Rock Slide is there over Grass Knot for the likes of Volcarona, who is otherwise a massive threat. Protean is a hard hitter, and Greninja is proving to be a very lethal pokemon late game where it cleans up very well with Zeraora.
Team Synergy/Goal:
The main goal of the team is to carefully whittle down the enemy team until it's weak enough to let Zeraora or Greninja clean up. How I normally go about this is switching between Celesteela, Toxapex, and Landorus T, setting up hazards, generally being annoying, until I can safely bring in one of my closures to pick up kills or blow through walls. The main defensive core isn't really threatened by all that much. It's a proven core a lot of people have used, and for good reason.
Threats:
Kyurem-Black:
This thing is so hard to deal with. I don't really have a switch into it, due to the insane coverage it gets, and it seems like I have to sack something every time the opponent switches one in so I have a shot at taking it down. I haven't gone up against one since I swapped in Mew, so I don't know if that help alleviate some pressure, but still a very annoying pokemon that's a struggle to take down.
Magearna:
Normally I can at least weaken it and slowly get rid of it, but it's an automatic loss if this thing is behind screens. It has quite a few set up opportunities on my more passive members, and once it's rolling, it's a bit too bulky for me to take down.
Set up sweepers:
My lack of priority can make it tough to stop sweepers if they got rolling, especially if that specific sweeper can KO Toxapex before I use Haze.
Conclusion:
This team has been working out really well, and I'm happy with the results, but I need some help fine tuning some of the details. The main points I'm looking for feedback on is trying out new hazard removers, and optimizing movesets. Excadrill is fine, but I'm not satisfied with it, and I feel like I have a couple movesets that could be improved upon. Honestly, it's the first team I've created since coming back to battling a little while ago, and could use some general advice. Thank you for taking the time to read through my team, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions; they are very much appreciated.
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