Hi, it's dsm77773 with yet another RMT (although I don't spam the forums with RMTs anymore). The thing is this is my #500 post, so I think it's time for another one.
Balanced Hackmons is my favorite metagame, although it suffers from serious issues right now (mainly being extremely centralized around a few Pokémon, meaning a lot of good teams are very similar). So I thought I'd showcase a not-really-new (at least for me, I'm building teams all the time) BH team I've been using for a while, built around an underrated Pokémon: Deoxys-A.
I started building around Deoxys-A as I said above. At first I was thinking about running a Protean set, but it was too weak, for example:
252 SpA Protean Deoxys-A Moonblast vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Giratina: 254-300 (50.4 - 59.6%) -- 30.5% chance to 2HKO after Poison Heal
So I finally settled with Contrary, which packs much more power.
First thing I usually need is something to Imposterproof the main Pokémon, however, Deoxys-A is Imposter resistant. So now I have to keep hazards away from my side of the field, as Deoxys-A is very dependent on its Focus Sash to work. I picked Mega Audino as a Magic Bouncer for a variety of reasons: her key ability to deal with Ghost+Fighting Protean (the most common Protean variant), her immunity to Trick and her general walling potential.
Whether you like it or not, there's no doubt Chansey dominates the meta.
Next is a good Sturdinja killer. I've been using Mega Gengar a lot, as it is a very good sweeper, it's Imposterproof, and easily deals with Shedinja.
An -ate counter is mandatory on any team. Flash Fire Aegislash is the closest thing to a full -ate counter in existance, and as I've got Mega Audino to deal with opposing Mega Gengar, I can "afford" Aegislash > Registeel.
Finally I added an -ate as a wallbreaker and back-up sweeper. Although Mega Diancie is more predictable than Mega Rayquaza, it has a better match-up against common walls such as Giratina or Mega Tyranitar.
The team worked quite well and Deoxys-A did better than expected, however, I found Ho-Oh an issue, as it was extremely hard to take down if Deoxys-A didn't have enough boosts to break through it. Thus, Mega Diancie was replaced with Mega Rayquaza, which takes the same roles as the fairy but sporting a better chance at scaring Ho-Oh with FakeSpeed.
Team preview
Under the Zoom Lens*
* Zoom Lens are strongly recommended if you want to see Deoxys-A's defenses
Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Contrary
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Naive Nature
Psycho Boost
Draco Meteor
Overheat
Superpower
Contrary is an extremely overrated ability in BH. Simply by being almost completely shut down by Imposter means it is niche, as the ability is left with only two options. The first, pack some serious Imposterproofing via Prankster (that can't switch in after few boosts) or Unaware (that has little use otherwise). The second, use it on a Imposterproof Pokémon itself. There are really few Pokémon that can abuse Contrary without being stopped cold by Imposter with no team support. Among them, Deoxys-A is probably the best. You don't want to switch your Imposter into Deoxys-A only to be 2HKOed (Deoxys-A's subatomic defenses will be copied), do you? And if it switches in after a kill, then Sash will save you 95.5% of the time (Imposter can only win if you miss Draco Meteor / Overheat).
Deoxys-A is currently ranked at D because it needs support to keep its Sash intact (one Magic Bouncer and a Defogger) and it is destroyed by -ates and priority. Thus, it needs to be played in a somewhat special way.
Of course, you should never bring Deoxys-A in manually, as its Sash will be broken, period, and Deoxys-A hates any status. Deoxys-A needs a slow U-turn or simply coming in after a teammate faints (make sure you can OHKO the opponent). Once in, you've already net a kill: if the opposing Pokémon stays in it gets OHKOed, and any switch-in can be 2HKOed by the right combination of attacks. From there, you can either switch out or attack like there's no tomorrow. You're using Deoxys-A anyway, so there's no tomorrow! If the Focus Sash is broken and there's an Imposter alive, switch out immediately no matter what and don't bring Deoxys-A in again until the Imposter has fainted. If you face an -ate or anything with priority, switch out as well. Often, saving Deoxys-A even with 1HP means it can net another kill or even sweep later, so don't sack it carelessly.
On the moves: Psycho Boost is the main STAB and gives Deoxys-A a +2 Special Attack boost thanks to Contrary, a single boost makes Deoxys-A a monster. Draco Meteor hits all the Dragons in BH, mainly Mega Rayquaza and Giratina. Overheat takes out the bulky Steel-types in BH (Aegislash, Registeel, Mega Aggron and Mega Steelix) that are found on any BH team as -ate stops, this also aids a Mega Rayquaza sweep. Superpower is basically filler: you could run Leaf Storm (for Kyogre) or King's Shield (to block Fake Out from -ates and win 1v1 if the Sash is up). Superpower is meant to hit Mega Tyranitar and the aforementioned bulky Steel-types in case they have Flash Fire, and it's a reliable finisher move if you already have a Special Attack boosts (one is enough to wreck anything) as the 90% accuracy on the special moves is frustrating at times, especially because it means Deoxys-A will be KOed or brought down to its Sash.
On another note, don't run V-create, as the Special Defense boosts can allow Imposters to beat Deoxys-A and sweep the entire team.
The EVs are designed to outspeed Mega Mewtwo Y, a Pokémon Deoxys-A is meant to check (Mega Mewtwo Y is very difficult to counter). Anything faster is rare: Deoxys-A itself is uncommon, so are Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Sceptile. Mega Alakazam is basically non-existant. From there, max Special Attack to hit as hard as possible and the rest is dumped into Attack to boost Superpower a bit, as investing in bulk is pointless. Naive over Hasty so the Imposter is hit slightly harder, not that the choice matters much.
Audino-Mega @ Audinite
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
U-turn
Defog
Knock Off
Soft-Boiled
Audino-Mega is a great wall in BH as it is able to deal with Ghost+Fighting coverage (Protean, Mega Gengar) which otherwise is extremely difficult to wall, thanks to her great mixed bulk and defensive typing. Magic Bounce and Defog helps Mega Audino controlling the hazard game (aiding Deoxys-A) and somewhat protects her from harmful status, making her a great switch-in to defensive Pokémon if you haven't scouted their moveset. Magic Bounce also allows Mega Audino to safely run Audinite to protect her from Trick, Audinite can't be Knocked Off as well, so Mega Audino is a fantastic switch into the move, as it resists Dark to boot.
The physically defensive spread allows Mega Audino to counter Mega Tyranitar lacking a set-up move, Mega Gengar and Spooky Plate Protean Mega Mewtwo Y (as they rely on Secret Sword to hit her), some Mega Mewtwo X (without V-create), Mega Gyarados, most Kyurem-Black if healthy, and other miscellaneous physically offensive threats. Some of them, however, are strong enough to break through Mega Audino: Primal Groudon and Protean V-create can 2HKO her. She also fears set-up greatly, as together with most BH walls she's really passive.
U-turn along with a -Speed nature and 0 Speed IVs allows for the slowest pivoting possible (again helping Deoxys-A), Defog is self-explanatory. Knock Off's main use is to remove Toxic Orbs from Poison Healers (screwing them if they have cleric support in the team or aren't already poisoned), Eviolite from opposing nImposter Chansey, and Spooky Plates from Protean and Mega Gengar, which means most of them are now walled by Mega Gengar (lol), which can use them as set-up fodder, and Aegislash. Soft-Boiled is also self-explanatory and keeps Mega Audino healthy. You can run either 0 or 31 Attack IVs: 0 reduces damage from confusion and Foul Play, while 31 slightly increases Mega Audino's pathetic damage output, confusion and Foul Play are almost non-existant in BH anyway.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Imposter
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Fake Out
Skill Swap
Soft-Boiled
Transform
Ah, Chansey. Say hi to the queen of the meta. It is basically impossible to succeed in BH without being prepared for her. An Imposter Chansey in your BH team is borderline mandatory. You should learn to counter it, to play with, without and around it. It's that centralizing in BH.
Imposter Chansey is mainly used to scout the opposing movesets (something huge in BH as any Pokémon has many viable movesets) and to a lesser extent, sweep. As all teams are very prepared for Imposter, they'll have walls to their own sweepers (this team is no exception), so to sweep with Imposter you'll want to take out those walls, for example, KOing the opponent's bulky Steel-type means Imposter can sweep if it copies an opposing -ate. Keep in mind Chansey doesn't like Knock Off, Leech Seed and Spore. Also there are a few common Imposterproof Pokémon that can easily beat Imposter: watch out for Mega Gengar and any Poison Healer.
None of this moves are actually useful, as Chansey is almost always transformed. Fake Out breaks Illusion (which blocks Imposter), however, some Illusion Pokémon are Ghost-types, so watch out. Transform completes a combo with Fake Out, allowing you to transform into the opposing Pokémon after breaking the Illusion. Skill Swap transforms the foe into a useless Chansey copy with no good HP and easy set up fodder, this is used mainly for Sub users, which again block Imposter; the foe's boosts are removed as well this way. Soft-Boiled is just recovery.
Eviolite boosts Chansey's defenses even when she's transformed, giving her titanic bulk. However, you can't play with Imposter recklessly as usually it lacks recovery when transformed.
HP is the only stat that matters when transformed, thus it is maximized, 248 EVs are used over 252 to get an odd HP number for Stealth Rock and other forms of residual damage. Maximum Defense because Chansey has lackluster Defense when not transformed. Minimum Attack minimizes confusion and Foul Play damage.
Gengar-Mega @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Judgment
Secret Sword
Shell Smash
Pursuit
A well-played Shedinja (no, a Shedinja lead is not a well-played Shedinja) is so damn annoying to take down, hence, Mega Gengar. A single good prediction and Shedinja is dead, thanks to the magic of Teravolt Pursuit. You still need that good prediction though, as if you don't double switch into Shedinja, then it just Baton Passes.
Killing Shedinja is far from the only thing Mega Gengar can do. Teravolt also spells trouble for Fur Coat Chansey as Secret Sword will now go directly for her bad Defense without factoring Fur Coat in, which is a 2HKO even unboosted. Mega Gengar is the typical Imposterproof example: by virtue of its perfect Ghost Judgment + Fighting coverage, Imposter can't touch this set (as it is left with Normal + Fighting coverage), not even with Pursuit, because aside from OHKOing Shedinja the move doesn't have any use. Mega Gengar will take about 30% from it after a Shell Smash while the Imposter is OHKOed back or 2HKOed unboosted.
Speaking of Shell Smash, the move makes Mega Gengar a scary late-game sweeper (especially because Mega Gengar has a good match-up against common walls such as Aegislash, Giratina and Chansey), but only use it after priority has been removed. If not, you'll get easily OHKOed by pretty much any priority move not named Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave, which are unheard of in BH, and Extreme Speed, which is usually paired with an -ate ability. -ates in particular destroy Mega Gengar, but can't switch in (Mega Rayquaza takes about 70% from an unboosted Judgment) especially after a Shell Smash.
Other common Pokémon to watch out include Yveltal and Mega Audino, which comfortably wall Mega Gengar, and Pranksters. As Mega Gengar has to carry a Spooky Plate to get a good STAB and to perform its Imposterproof trick, it is vulnerable to Spore. Much like Deoxys-A, Mega Gengar is very frail, so don't manually switch into attacks: that's just asking for getting OHKOed.
The EVs spread is straightforward. A +Speed nature is needed to speed tie with Mega Mewtwo X, and Hasty is pointless as Pursuit is only here to OHKO Shedinja.
Aegislash @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Flash Fire
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Defog
Recover
Aromatherapy
U-turn
Aegislash takes a number of key roles on the team: secondary pivot, secondary Defogger, cleric and -ate wall.
Most Aegislash run Prankster as an ability, however, Flash Fire Aegislash is the closest thing to a full -ate counter in existance: it walls non-coverage, Magma Storm and Fighting coverage variants. It also walls Refrigerate Mega Mewtwo X, which would wreck Registeel. Refrigerate Kyurem-Black can break through Aegislash, as it usually runs coverage moves over Boomburst: it's not uncommon to see a Thousand Arrows Kyurem-Black. However, sacrificing Boomburst means Mega Audino can wall it most of the time.
U-turn is the pivoting move (Volt Switch is blocked by Ground-types and Parting Shot can be bounced by Magic Bounce or blocked by Soundproof), bringing your frail sweepers to the battlefield safely. I'm not running minimum Speed on Aegislash, because it naturally outspeeds Registeel and Mega Audino (which sit at the 50 base Speed tier, below Aegislash's base 60), underspeeds Giratina anyway (Giratina has a much higher Speed at base 90), and other Aegislash are seen with Prankster Parting Shot, which has priority. Aromatherapy clears status from the rest of the team, this move is important in this build due to how offensive it is (by BH standards anyway). Recover is Recover, mandatory move on a wall and self-explanatory. Defog is sort of a filler, but at least lets you clear hazards if Mega Audino has fainted (hazards are very easy to remove in BH, note I'm not even packing mine). Aegislash can gain a few opportunities to Defog hazards or clear status by forcing out opposing -ates. The specially defensive spread allows Aegislash to take as many -ate Boombursts and Techno Blasts as possible. Minimum Attack minimizes confusion and Foul Play damage, Aegislash is incredibly weak anyway. Safety Goggles it's a rare item outside of BH, its main use is to block Spore.
Rayquaza-Mega @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Aerilate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
Fake Out
Extreme Speed
Boomburst
Magma Storm
The standard Aerilate monster. There are few reasons not to run an -ate in your BH team. Mega Rayquaza is a great revenge killer, wallbreaker and sweeper. FakeSpeed (Fake Out + Extreme Speed) is an incredible combination that can finish anything faster than it really quickly, destroying most offensive Pokémon without King's Shield. Boomburst is the panic button and the main wallbreaking tool, even without investment, the move is insanely powerful, taking out even walls such as opposing Mega Audino and Giratina after a bit of prior damage. Also use Boomburst on predicted King's Shields for quite obvious reasons. Magma Storm keeps bulky Steel-types at bay, Registeel can take it somewhat, but not Mega Aggron or Mega Steelix. Shedinja is a common Mega Rayquaza switch-in, Magma Storm on the predicted switch will take it out, and even if it Baton Passes, it'll think again before blindly switching in.
Despite being an insanely powerful Pokémon, Mega Rayquaza is far from perfect. It lacks a way to keep healthy throughout the match, it's a common target for Imposters, it's frail (105/100/100 bulk is frail by BH standards, especially since Aerilate Mega Rayquaza almost always runs a bulk-decreasing nature) and weak to Stealth Rock and to all opposing -ates (Mega Rayquaza even checks itself). The Imposter issue is solved with Aegislash, which comfortably walls this set thanks to Flash Fire (this also means opposing Flash Fire Steel-type walls will force you out).
EVs are self-explanatory (physically offensive as Boomburst is already very powerful without investment, although if you prefer Mega Rayquaza for wallbreaking rather than revenge killing and sweeping, then you can go specially offensive). A Speed-boosting nature lets Mega Rayquaza outrun other Mega Rayquaza, the Mega Latis, Mega Metagross and Mega Diancie. Naive > Hasty to take priority better and make Imposter take more damage from a Boomburst on the switch. Safety Goggles allows Mega Rayquaza to get a free switch into Spore and start wrecking.
The final hide tags
Some -ates: especially Kyurem-Black with Boomburst and Ground coverage, but also Mega Diancie and Mega Rayquaza with Ground coverage and all variants of Kyurem-Black if Mega Audino is below 80%. Imposter Chansey and Mega Rayquaza are your best bets to check them.
Certain Imposterproof set-up sweepers: those that can boost their Speed are particularly dangerous. They can use Mega Audino or Aegislash as set-up fodders, and once their Speed is boosted, they can outspeed Deoxys-A, so if the Sash is broken or Deoxys-A can't OHKO them, you're facing an uphill battle. If Mega Rayquaza can't revenge them, you've almost lost the battle.
Defensive Ho-Oh: Mega Rayquaza can pressure it, but usually can't break through it, so you'll struggle to take it down, although Aegislash can stop it.
Conclusion
Underdogs can do well in BH since it is already very difficult to deal with the most prominent threats. Even in a stale metagame like BH, you can get creative and make an underdog rise to stardom on one of your teams, but don't use Swadloon *cough* HeadsILoseTailsYouWin *cough*
Balanced Hackmons is my favorite metagame, although it suffers from serious issues right now (mainly being extremely centralized around a few Pokémon, meaning a lot of good teams are very similar). So I thought I'd showcase a not-really-new (at least for me, I'm building teams all the time) BH team I've been using for a while, built around an underrated Pokémon: Deoxys-A.
I started building around Deoxys-A as I said above. At first I was thinking about running a Protean set, but it was too weak, for example:
252 SpA Protean Deoxys-A Moonblast vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Giratina: 254-300 (50.4 - 59.6%) -- 30.5% chance to 2HKO after Poison Heal
So I finally settled with Contrary, which packs much more power.
First thing I usually need is something to Imposterproof the main Pokémon, however, Deoxys-A is Imposter resistant. So now I have to keep hazards away from my side of the field, as Deoxys-A is very dependent on its Focus Sash to work. I picked Mega Audino as a Magic Bouncer for a variety of reasons: her key ability to deal with Ghost+Fighting Protean (the most common Protean variant), her immunity to Trick and her general walling potential.
Whether you like it or not, there's no doubt Chansey dominates the meta.
Next is a good Sturdinja killer. I've been using Mega Gengar a lot, as it is a very good sweeper, it's Imposterproof, and easily deals with Shedinja.
An -ate counter is mandatory on any team. Flash Fire Aegislash is the closest thing to a full -ate counter in existance, and as I've got Mega Audino to deal with opposing Mega Gengar, I can "afford" Aegislash > Registeel.
Finally I added an -ate as a wallbreaker and back-up sweeper. Although Mega Diancie is more predictable than Mega Rayquaza, it has a better match-up against common walls such as Giratina or Mega Tyranitar.
The team worked quite well and Deoxys-A did better than expected, however, I found Ho-Oh an issue, as it was extremely hard to take down if Deoxys-A didn't have enough boosts to break through it. Thus, Mega Diancie was replaced with Mega Rayquaza, which takes the same roles as the fairy but sporting a better chance at scaring Ho-Oh with FakeSpeed.
Team preview
Under the Zoom Lens*
* Zoom Lens are strongly recommended if you want to see Deoxys-A's defenses
Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Contrary
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Naive Nature
Contrary is an extremely overrated ability in BH. Simply by being almost completely shut down by Imposter means it is niche, as the ability is left with only two options. The first, pack some serious Imposterproofing via Prankster (that can't switch in after few boosts) or Unaware (that has little use otherwise). The second, use it on a Imposterproof Pokémon itself. There are really few Pokémon that can abuse Contrary without being stopped cold by Imposter with no team support. Among them, Deoxys-A is probably the best. You don't want to switch your Imposter into Deoxys-A only to be 2HKOed (Deoxys-A's subatomic defenses will be copied), do you? And if it switches in after a kill, then Sash will save you 95.5% of the time (Imposter can only win if you miss Draco Meteor / Overheat).
Deoxys-A is currently ranked at D because it needs support to keep its Sash intact (one Magic Bouncer and a Defogger) and it is destroyed by -ates and priority. Thus, it needs to be played in a somewhat special way.
Of course, you should never bring Deoxys-A in manually, as its Sash will be broken, period, and Deoxys-A hates any status. Deoxys-A needs a slow U-turn or simply coming in after a teammate faints (make sure you can OHKO the opponent). Once in, you've already net a kill: if the opposing Pokémon stays in it gets OHKOed, and any switch-in can be 2HKOed by the right combination of attacks. From there, you can either switch out or attack like there's no tomorrow. You're using Deoxys-A anyway, so there's no tomorrow! If the Focus Sash is broken and there's an Imposter alive, switch out immediately no matter what and don't bring Deoxys-A in again until the Imposter has fainted. If you face an -ate or anything with priority, switch out as well. Often, saving Deoxys-A even with 1HP means it can net another kill or even sweep later, so don't sack it carelessly.
On the moves: Psycho Boost is the main STAB and gives Deoxys-A a +2 Special Attack boost thanks to Contrary, a single boost makes Deoxys-A a monster. Draco Meteor hits all the Dragons in BH, mainly Mega Rayquaza and Giratina. Overheat takes out the bulky Steel-types in BH (Aegislash, Registeel, Mega Aggron and Mega Steelix) that are found on any BH team as -ate stops, this also aids a Mega Rayquaza sweep. Superpower is basically filler: you could run Leaf Storm (for Kyogre) or King's Shield (to block Fake Out from -ates and win 1v1 if the Sash is up). Superpower is meant to hit Mega Tyranitar and the aforementioned bulky Steel-types in case they have Flash Fire, and it's a reliable finisher move if you already have a Special Attack boosts (one is enough to wreck anything) as the 90% accuracy on the special moves is frustrating at times, especially because it means Deoxys-A will be KOed or brought down to its Sash.
On another note, don't run V-create, as the Special Defense boosts can allow Imposters to beat Deoxys-A and sweep the entire team.
The EVs are designed to outspeed Mega Mewtwo Y, a Pokémon Deoxys-A is meant to check (Mega Mewtwo Y is very difficult to counter). Anything faster is rare: Deoxys-A itself is uncommon, so are Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Sceptile. Mega Alakazam is basically non-existant. From there, max Special Attack to hit as hard as possible and the rest is dumped into Attack to boost Superpower a bit, as investing in bulk is pointless. Naive over Hasty so the Imposter is hit slightly harder, not that the choice matters much.
Audino-Mega @ Audinite
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
U-turn
Defog
Knock Off
Soft-Boiled
The physically defensive spread allows Mega Audino to counter Mega Tyranitar lacking a set-up move, Mega Gengar and Spooky Plate Protean Mega Mewtwo Y (as they rely on Secret Sword to hit her), some Mega Mewtwo X (without V-create), Mega Gyarados, most Kyurem-Black if healthy, and other miscellaneous physically offensive threats. Some of them, however, are strong enough to break through Mega Audino: Primal Groudon and Protean V-create can 2HKO her. She also fears set-up greatly, as together with most BH walls she's really passive.
U-turn along with a -Speed nature and 0 Speed IVs allows for the slowest pivoting possible (again helping Deoxys-A), Defog is self-explanatory. Knock Off's main use is to remove Toxic Orbs from Poison Healers (screwing them if they have cleric support in the team or aren't already poisoned), Eviolite from opposing nImposter Chansey, and Spooky Plates from Protean and Mega Gengar, which means most of them are now walled by Mega Gengar (lol), which can use them as set-up fodder, and Aegislash. Soft-Boiled is also self-explanatory and keeps Mega Audino healthy. You can run either 0 or 31 Attack IVs: 0 reduces damage from confusion and Foul Play, while 31 slightly increases Mega Audino's pathetic damage output, confusion and Foul Play are almost non-existant in BH anyway.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Imposter
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Ah, Chansey. Say hi to the queen of the meta. It is basically impossible to succeed in BH without being prepared for her. An Imposter Chansey in your BH team is borderline mandatory. You should learn to counter it, to play with, without and around it. It's that centralizing in BH.
Imposter Chansey is mainly used to scout the opposing movesets (something huge in BH as any Pokémon has many viable movesets) and to a lesser extent, sweep. As all teams are very prepared for Imposter, they'll have walls to their own sweepers (this team is no exception), so to sweep with Imposter you'll want to take out those walls, for example, KOing the opponent's bulky Steel-type means Imposter can sweep if it copies an opposing -ate. Keep in mind Chansey doesn't like Knock Off, Leech Seed and Spore. Also there are a few common Imposterproof Pokémon that can easily beat Imposter: watch out for Mega Gengar and any Poison Healer.
None of this moves are actually useful, as Chansey is almost always transformed. Fake Out breaks Illusion (which blocks Imposter), however, some Illusion Pokémon are Ghost-types, so watch out. Transform completes a combo with Fake Out, allowing you to transform into the opposing Pokémon after breaking the Illusion. Skill Swap transforms the foe into a useless Chansey copy with no good HP and easy set up fodder, this is used mainly for Sub users, which again block Imposter; the foe's boosts are removed as well this way. Soft-Boiled is just recovery.
Eviolite boosts Chansey's defenses even when she's transformed, giving her titanic bulk. However, you can't play with Imposter recklessly as usually it lacks recovery when transformed.
HP is the only stat that matters when transformed, thus it is maximized, 248 EVs are used over 252 to get an odd HP number for Stealth Rock and other forms of residual damage. Maximum Defense because Chansey has lackluster Defense when not transformed. Minimum Attack minimizes confusion and Foul Play damage.
Gengar-Mega @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Judgment
Secret Sword
Shell Smash
Pursuit
Killing Shedinja is far from the only thing Mega Gengar can do. Teravolt also spells trouble for Fur Coat Chansey as Secret Sword will now go directly for her bad Defense without factoring Fur Coat in, which is a 2HKO even unboosted. Mega Gengar is the typical Imposterproof example: by virtue of its perfect Ghost Judgment + Fighting coverage, Imposter can't touch this set (as it is left with Normal + Fighting coverage), not even with Pursuit, because aside from OHKOing Shedinja the move doesn't have any use. Mega Gengar will take about 30% from it after a Shell Smash while the Imposter is OHKOed back or 2HKOed unboosted.
Speaking of Shell Smash, the move makes Mega Gengar a scary late-game sweeper (especially because Mega Gengar has a good match-up against common walls such as Aegislash, Giratina and Chansey), but only use it after priority has been removed. If not, you'll get easily OHKOed by pretty much any priority move not named Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave, which are unheard of in BH, and Extreme Speed, which is usually paired with an -ate ability. -ates in particular destroy Mega Gengar, but can't switch in (Mega Rayquaza takes about 70% from an unboosted Judgment) especially after a Shell Smash.
Other common Pokémon to watch out include Yveltal and Mega Audino, which comfortably wall Mega Gengar, and Pranksters. As Mega Gengar has to carry a Spooky Plate to get a good STAB and to perform its Imposterproof trick, it is vulnerable to Spore. Much like Deoxys-A, Mega Gengar is very frail, so don't manually switch into attacks: that's just asking for getting OHKOed.
The EVs spread is straightforward. A +Speed nature is needed to speed tie with Mega Mewtwo X, and Hasty is pointless as Pursuit is only here to OHKO Shedinja.
Aegislash @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Flash Fire
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Aegislash takes a number of key roles on the team: secondary pivot, secondary Defogger, cleric and -ate wall.
Most Aegislash run Prankster as an ability, however, Flash Fire Aegislash is the closest thing to a full -ate counter in existance: it walls non-coverage, Magma Storm and Fighting coverage variants. It also walls Refrigerate Mega Mewtwo X, which would wreck Registeel. Refrigerate Kyurem-Black can break through Aegislash, as it usually runs coverage moves over Boomburst: it's not uncommon to see a Thousand Arrows Kyurem-Black. However, sacrificing Boomburst means Mega Audino can wall it most of the time.
U-turn is the pivoting move (Volt Switch is blocked by Ground-types and Parting Shot can be bounced by Magic Bounce or blocked by Soundproof), bringing your frail sweepers to the battlefield safely. I'm not running minimum Speed on Aegislash, because it naturally outspeeds Registeel and Mega Audino (which sit at the 50 base Speed tier, below Aegislash's base 60), underspeeds Giratina anyway (Giratina has a much higher Speed at base 90), and other Aegislash are seen with Prankster Parting Shot, which has priority. Aromatherapy clears status from the rest of the team, this move is important in this build due to how offensive it is (by BH standards anyway). Recover is Recover, mandatory move on a wall and self-explanatory. Defog is sort of a filler, but at least lets you clear hazards if Mega Audino has fainted (hazards are very easy to remove in BH, note I'm not even packing mine). Aegislash can gain a few opportunities to Defog hazards or clear status by forcing out opposing -ates. The specially defensive spread allows Aegislash to take as many -ate Boombursts and Techno Blasts as possible. Minimum Attack minimizes confusion and Foul Play damage, Aegislash is incredibly weak anyway. Safety Goggles it's a rare item outside of BH, its main use is to block Spore.
Rayquaza-Mega @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Aerilate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
Fake Out
Extreme Speed
Boomburst
Magma Storm
Despite being an insanely powerful Pokémon, Mega Rayquaza is far from perfect. It lacks a way to keep healthy throughout the match, it's a common target for Imposters, it's frail (105/100/100 bulk is frail by BH standards, especially since Aerilate Mega Rayquaza almost always runs a bulk-decreasing nature) and weak to Stealth Rock and to all opposing -ates (Mega Rayquaza even checks itself). The Imposter issue is solved with Aegislash, which comfortably walls this set thanks to Flash Fire (this also means opposing Flash Fire Steel-type walls will force you out).
EVs are self-explanatory (physically offensive as Boomburst is already very powerful without investment, although if you prefer Mega Rayquaza for wallbreaking rather than revenge killing and sweeping, then you can go specially offensive). A Speed-boosting nature lets Mega Rayquaza outrun other Mega Rayquaza, the Mega Latis, Mega Metagross and Mega Diancie. Naive > Hasty to take priority better and make Imposter take more damage from a Boomburst on the switch. Safety Goggles allows Mega Rayquaza to get a free switch into Spore and start wrecking.
The final hide tags
Q: Oh no Imposter switched into one of my Pokémon! What do I do?
A: If the Impostered Pokémon is...
Switching Imposter into Deoxys-A is a bad idea, as the Imposter will get 2HKOed or OHKOed after a single boost. If it switches in after a kill, then Deoxys-A will already have the boost needed to OHKO the Imposter, which means that, thanks to the Focus Sash, you have a 95.5% chance of winning. Only if you miss Draco Meteor / Overheat, the Imposter hits and then wins the Speed tie Imposter will break through Deoxys-A. In that case, bring in Mega Rayquaza and FakeSpeed. The Imposter will be forced out or KOed.
If the Sash is broken while Imposter is still alive, switch out Deoxys-A and wait for Imposter to faint before bringing it in again. If it gets to switch in with a broken Sash, risk the Speed tie, and if you lose, bring Mega Rayquaza in and FakeSpeed.
Mega Audino it's just too passive. Knock Off can be absorbed by Mega Audino herself, she can wall her own Imposter without much trouble. Most of the time, Imposter will just pivot out. If it refuses to switch, just PP stall and pivot when the Imposter is forced out.
This will only happen on lead matchups. Usually switch to Mega Gengar or Mega Rayquaza to start with an aggressive position. The Imposter can't do anything but Fake Out from a ridiculous 13 Attack or Skill Swapping. Switch out in the latter's case.
Imposter can't touch Mega Gengar (+2 Pursuit does about 30% to a -1 Mega Gengar), so Shell Smash and then Judgment for the OHKO. If Imposter somehow breaks through Mega Gengar (because Mega Gengar was seriously weakened or something) just bring in Aegislash.
Same as Mega Audino, without Knock Off.
Aegislash walls it. Hit X if it's too weakened to deal with it (in that case, much like Deoxys-A, don't bring Mega Rayquaza in until the Imposter has fainted or you've found an opportunity to use Recover with Aegislash).
A: If the Impostered Pokémon is...
If the Sash is broken while Imposter is still alive, switch out Deoxys-A and wait for Imposter to faint before bringing it in again. If it gets to switch in with a broken Sash, risk the Speed tie, and if you lose, bring Mega Rayquaza in and FakeSpeed.
Some -ates: especially Kyurem-Black with Boomburst and Ground coverage, but also Mega Diancie and Mega Rayquaza with Ground coverage and all variants of Kyurem-Black if Mega Audino is below 80%. Imposter Chansey and Mega Rayquaza are your best bets to check them.
Certain Imposterproof set-up sweepers: those that can boost their Speed are particularly dangerous. They can use Mega Audino or Aegislash as set-up fodders, and once their Speed is boosted, they can outspeed Deoxys-A, so if the Sash is broken or Deoxys-A can't OHKO them, you're facing an uphill battle. If Mega Rayquaza can't revenge them, you've almost lost the battle.
Defensive Ho-Oh: Mega Rayquaza can pressure it, but usually can't break through it, so you'll struggle to take it down, although Aegislash can stop it.
Since Chansey is a team member, I've hidden a Whimsicott in the RMT for you to find it if you're bored. Why Whimsicott? Because it has a nasty habit of ruining all my non-BH teams. BAN Whimsicott
I've only saved this one apparently:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-341597374
Shows Deoxys-A's power and also how to sweep with Imposter.
More coming soon I guess?
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-341597374
Shows Deoxys-A's power and also how to sweep with Imposter.
More coming soon I guess?
Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Contrary
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Naive Nature
- Psycho Boost
- Draco Meteor
- Overheat
- Superpower
Audino-Mega @ Audinite
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- U-turn
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Soft-Boiled
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Imposter
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fake Out
- Skill Swap
- Soft-Boiled
- Transform
Gengar-Mega @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Secret Sword
- Shell Smash
- Pursuit
Aegislash @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Flash Fire
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Recover
- Aromatherapy
- U-turn
Rayquaza-Mega @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Aerilate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Fake Out
- Extreme Speed
- Boomburst
- Magma Storm
Ability: Contrary
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Naive Nature
- Psycho Boost
- Draco Meteor
- Overheat
- Superpower
Audino-Mega @ Audinite
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- U-turn
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Soft-Boiled
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Imposter
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fake Out
- Skill Swap
- Soft-Boiled
- Transform
Gengar-Mega @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Secret Sword
- Shell Smash
- Pursuit
Aegislash @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Flash Fire
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Recover
- Aromatherapy
- U-turn
Rayquaza-Mega @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Aerilate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Fake Out
- Extreme Speed
- Boomburst
- Magma Storm
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Conclusion
Underdogs can do well in BH since it is already very difficult to deal with the most prominent threats. Even in a stale metagame like BH, you can get creative and make an underdog rise to stardom on one of your teams, but don't use Swadloon *cough* HeadsILoseTailsYouWin *cough*
