SM OU Ash greninja + Garchomp balance

[Rayleigh95]

Hi all! I'd like to know if this team could be improved in any way. Let's we start by how I built it.


Garchomp has been my favourite pokemon for his design and power since it come out on DPP, so I wanted to build a team around him ( not mega, I dont like it that much).

Garchomp @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Swords Dance

So this is an standard set for chomp. Max speed and atk with a jolly nature so he can hit as fast and hard has he can. Chomp is a hazard for a lot of common pokemon in the ou tier so he can be a good user of stealth rock. Earthquake is his main stab and outrage the other one. Swords dance make him capable of ohkoing a lot of pokemon. I choose dragonium z over rockium z just because of the raw power of the stab once z move is used, but I consider changing it if needed; anyway I'd like to keep the offensive nature of this set, I dont want to use my favourite pokemon defensively in this team.

Then, I choose ash-greninja cause I like him too and it forms a good core with garchomp.

Crazy Frog (Greninja-Ash) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Spikes

This is the standard set, that works as a good special sweeper, specially if he can transform. Max speed and spatk for hitting hast fast and hard as possible, and choice specs helps him to deal more damage and to reach the transformation easier. I run surf over hydropump cause of perfect accuracy. Dark pulse is needed as secondary stab and coverage, water shuriken for priority and spikes predcting the switch to a pokemon that can wall him easily like toxapex, av magearna or ferrothorn.

After that I started to think on some defensive pokemon that could fit in this team. And I thought in zapdos and tangrowth.

AC/DC (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Roost
- Heat Wave
- Defog

Zapdos is one of my favourite minor legendaries. He can wall kartana, hawlucha, scizor... and if I got a bit of luck, can at least paralyze 1 pokemon for game. This set gives him as physical bulk as he needs. 20 speed EVs let him outpace adamant bisharp and timid magnezone. Discharge is prefered over thunderbolt for the 30% of paralyze. Heat wave hits ferrothorn, scizor and kartana. Roost is needed for durability and defog to support the team retiring entry hazards.

Marc Gasol (Tangrowth) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Earthquake

Tangrowth is a nice pivot due to his great ability in regenerator and its nice stats. I choose a set with AV cause I needed an special wall; so max hp and spdef is needed.
Giga drain is a stab move with pefect accuracy, medium power and recovery. Knock off let it toss off some items on the switch like leftovers, berrys or eviolite. Hp ice is for landorus, garchomp and gliscor; and earthquake for magearna, heatran and other steel types.

After that I think that I needed a wallbreaker and a scarf user.

Victory (Victini) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- U-turn
- Trick

And I think scarf victini could fit well on this team. V-create is a massive powerfull move with 180 of power + stab and it can melt almost everything that doesn't resist it. Bolt strike is another powerful move and has nice coverage: mainly water types. U-turn for momentum and trick to cripple some pokemon like chansey, toxapex, etc...

Destroyer (Mawile) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Play Rough
- Thunder Punch
- Sucker Punch

Finally, here we have our mega and wallbreaker.

Destroyer (Mawile) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Play Rough
- Thunder Punch
- Sucker Punch

164 EVs on speed lets him outpace sassy mega venusaur. Maxed atk for hitting hard as possible and the rest of EVs on HP to give some bulk to him. Swords dance is used for getting that attack stat to sky levels. Play Rough is the stab move chosen and hits so hard. Thunder punch is his best coverage move : hits toxapex, celesteela... And sucker punch is there for priority.


So thats all. I'm open to any kind of change except replacing garchomp, it's the only condition I have. Thanks in advance.

Importable

Garchomp @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Swords Dance

Crazy Frog (Greninja-Ash) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Spikes

Marc Gasol (Tangrowth) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Earthquake

Victory (Victini) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- U-turn
- Trick

AC/DC (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Roost
- Heat Wave
- Defog

Destroyer (Mawile) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Play Rough
- Thunder Punch
- Sucker Punch

 

[Lwcftw47]

I like every poke on the squad will definitely be giving this team a test run

 

[ScalchopFren]

Definitely replace Outrage with Stone Edge on Garchomp. Dragonium chomp's usefulness is minimal if existent at all. Not only does Rockium do significantly more to otherwise free switchins of Celesteela and Skarmory, but with so many Fairy types in OU, using your Z-move slot for a Dragon move is a fairly big risk to take. The STAB bonus you get usually isn't worth it when most of what you'd use the Z-move against takes respectable damage from Rockium anyway.

 

[MattGriggs152]

Had a very similar team myself a while back - I scrapped it but after seeing this it might be time to update it. I might be tempted to swap out Tangrowth for Regenerator Toxapex with Scald, Ice Beam, Knock Off and Baneful Bunker but that's just my preference. Sweet team!

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Had a very similar team myself a while back - I scrapped it but after seeing this it might be time to update it. I might be tempted to swap out Tangrowth for Regenerator Toxapex with Scald, Ice Beam, Knock Off and Baneful Bunker but that's just my preference. Sweet team!

You gotta have a REALLY good reason to not run Recover or Haze (especially Recover).

 

[MattGriggs152]

You gotta have a REALLY good reason to not run Recover or Haze (especially Recover).

I started out with Recover instead of Knock Off but I found I wasn't using it much. Knock off comes out pretty much every time I use that Pex set. I think it's just personal preference for me but in this particular instance I'm favouring utility over longevity. I might try swapping out Ice Beam for Haze

 

[ScalchopFren]

I started out with Recover instead of Knock Off but I found I wasn't using it much. Knock off comes out pretty much every time I use that Pex set. I think it's just personal preference for me but in this particular instance I'm favouring utility over longevity. I might try swapping out Ice Beam for Haze

If you’re not using Recover with Pex much then you’re using it very wrong. You say you favor utility over longevity, but the thing is, Pex’s utility is a RESULT of its longevity. The whole point of a Pokémon with base defenses each over 140 is to live for a long time (with the possible exception of Shuckle). Pex’s typing in conjunction with its bulk and ability to heal are what make it able to check so much of OU, and sacrificing Recover would severely limit its utility. And Regenerator is NOT sufficient for it, because that requires switching it out against its good matchups. If you’re so desperate for Knock Off support, it’s not exactly an uncommon move; run something like Tangrowth instead.

And yes, you should ABSOLUTELY swap Ice Beam for Haze.

 

[Ronneberg]

If you’re not using Recover with Pex much then you’re using it very wrong. You say you favor utility over longevity, but the thing is, Pex’s utility is a RESULT of its longevity. The whole point of a Pokémon with base defenses each over 140 is to live for a long time (with the possible exception of Shuckle). Pex’s typing in conjunction with its bulk and ability to heal are what make it able to check so much of OU, and sacrificing Recover would severely limit its utility. And Regenerator is NOT sufficient for it, because that requires switching it out against its good matchups. If you’re so desperate for Knock Off support, it’s not exactly an uncommon move; run something like Tangrowth instead.

And yes, you should ABSOLUTELY swap Ice Beam for Haze.

Not to mention that banking on solely Regenerator as recovery makes you horribly weak to the very popular Spikes-Rocks combo, which is easier than ever to get out with enormously useful Spikers such as Ferrothorn and Ash-Greninja

 

[Ronneberg]

I started out with Recover instead of Knock Off but I found I wasn't using it much. Knock off comes out pretty much every time I use that Pex set. I think it's just personal preference for me but in this particular instance I'm favouring utility over longevity. I might try swapping out Ice Beam for Haze

Haze is the only reason why Toxapex is such a good surefire against Hawlucha, because it gets rid of its stats and threatens to burn it with Scald, while being able to heal up. Sadly, that's kind of Haze's only real application (outside of possibly SD-Bulu).

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Haze is the only reason why Toxapex is such a good surefire against Hawlucha, because it gets rid of its stats and threatens to burn it with Scald, while being able to heal up. Sadly, that's kind of Haze's only real application (outside of possibly SD-Bulu).

It also puts a stop to Volcarona lacking Psychic.

 

[Ronneberg]

It also puts a stop to Volcarona lacking Psychic.

true, considering that most Volcs are bulky non-z-move from my experience