OU BW OU Victim of the Week: Week 9 - Alakazam | Submissions Phase

[afuyeas]

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch

252+ SpA Choice Specs Magnezone Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 208+ SpD Ferrothorn: 340-400 (96.5 - 113.6%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

Nominating Choice Specs Magnezone as a counter. While Finch has arguably already won the category, Specs Magnezone isn't far behind Xatu as you can double switch it in as Ferrothorn comes in and be highly favored to deny it any hazard and this particular Magnezone can limit Ferrothorn to one layer of hazards, good enough. Evs let Magnezone live Keldeo's unboosted Secret Sword from full while outrunning 0 speed Rotom-Wash.

 

[Smurf.]

fire gem starmie

analytic hydro + hp fire kills

 

[BigBallerBrand]

Any set for this counter works. An opposing Ferrothorn will not stay in for the next turn after you switch into Ninetails. Unfortunately, we don't see this pokemon in BW OU anymore due to the ban of Dugtrio. Currently, it gets completely countered by Politoed and Tyranitar unless you have Sunny Day and it also takes 25% from rocks. My 4 recommended moves are Flamethrower, Rest, Will-O-Wisp, Sunny Day.

 

[Undorian]

Breloom @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpD / 20 Spe
Careful Nature
- Substitute
- Bulk Up
- Seed Bomb (/ Drain Punch)
- Facade (/ Drain Punch)

Poison Heal Breloom is a Ferrothorn switch-in that stands to lose very few things on its own, as it doesn´t care about status moves, Leech seed and even Knock off. This is a set that explicitly attempts to abuse Ferrothorn as set-up fodder and take out at least one of its teammates with a bulk up-boosted attack, such as Latios or Landorus-Therian. Actually defeating Ferrothorn itself rapidly isn´t as important, as after a single Bulk up its Gyro Balls (if it even runs that move) do feeble damage to Breloom that will probably fail to even break its substitute, hence why Drain Punch is the least important move on this set. Facade hits targets such as Latios and Dragonite, while Seed Bomb takes out Tyranitar, as well as water and ground types. This set is hilariously ineffective against Ferrothorn´s counterpart, Skarmory, and probably requires dedicated hazard control support, but if the correct fish bites the hook. it should prove to be effective.

Have a nice day, everyone.

 

[Aqua Jet]

Voting Phase
The Voting phase will last until Saturday, Febuary 22 at 11:59pm EST (GMT -5). You can click each sprite to go to the corresponding post. Looks like there is only checks this time (which in heindsight is probably my fault for doing a Support Pokémon) so instead you can vote for 2 counters.

Counters


Thank you to everybody who submitted a set and have fun voting!​

 

[Greentea570]

and

 

[Gamer1234556]

and

 

[HydreigonTheChild]

and

which zone is that... there are 2 zones

 

[Gamer1234556]

Oh shit I mean Air Balloon, sorry.

 

[HydreigonTheChild]

xatu and tran

 

[BigBallerBrand]

For this counter it really depends how effective the counter is with the current weather condition.
I'll vote for Xatu and Balloon-Mag

 

[LuckOverSkill]

Xatu (you should try Thief if you're funny like me) + Sunny Day Magnezone.

 

[5Dots]

Xatu and Breloom

 

[Aqua Jet]

Tiebreaker

After a tiebreaker from Links, congrats to Finchinator and HydreigonTheChild for winning the counters of Week 2! Your submission will be added to the Hall of Fame Shortly!

Submissions Phase

Choice Specs

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
Hidden Power: Ghost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Ghost]
- Icy Wind

Despite dropping to UU in recent generations, Keldeo and Keldeo-Resolute pose a great threat in BW OU, obliterting many of the tiers walls with a Rain-boosted Hydro Pump. Not even special walls such as Chansey can stand up to it thanks to its move Secret Sword that punishes Special walls, as well as Steel-types such as Ferrothron. Hidden Power Ghost allows it to surprise Jellicent and Latios, and Icy Wind also allows it to try to hit Latios, with the added bonus of lowering its Speed stat. Please assume that rain is active when submitting your checks and counters!

Your submissions are due this upcoming Thursday evening since I was a little late posting the week.​

 

[HydreigonTheChild]

Slowking @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpD
Calm Nature
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Dragon Tail
- Psyshock

Perhaps the best Keldeo counter out there is Slowking; despite its lower tier status, it remains a very effective way to always beat Keldeo. It can tank any move there is and regen off hp ghost as it can easily be switched out of to a pokemon like ferro, tenta, dragonite, and more. It can easily pp stall hydro pump, and it can threaten a 2hko with psyshock, rack up more chip damage via dragon tail, and threaten a crippling burn on it via scald.

252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hidden Power Ghost vs. 252 HP / 180+ SpD Slowking: 164-194 (41.6 - 49.2%) -- 21.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 180+ SpD Slowking in Rain: 156-184 (39.5 - 46.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 252 HP / 76 Def Slowking: 114-134 (28.9 - 34%) -- 1.8% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

 

[Finchinator]

Strong check.

Tentacruel (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 68 SpD / 188 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Protect
- Toxic
- Rapid Spin

If no Rain is up, you easilly 1v1 with ToxProt. If you have to switch-in, it can get awkward if Hydro Pump keeps hitting, but you usually do not need to do too much on the Tentacruel side as Rains have secondary and tertiary resists. If Rain is up, then it's able to Toxic and with Prot+RainDish avoid a 2HKO comfortably, potentially even evading 3HKO if hazards are not up as Hydro averages around 50% and you heal 12.5% each turn (including both Protect turns, Toxic, and the turn you switch-in).

 

[Nalorium]

reserving swanna

 

[Gamer1234556]

Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Night Shade

Jellicent's immunity to both of its Keldeo's STABs makes it arguably the hardest counter to it in the game. While Keldeo may have adapted to it by running Hidden Power Ghost, the fact that it is forced to run such an exploitable move to hit Jellicent goes to show how much of an influence Jellicent had on how people use Keldeo. I would list it as a check since it technically "loses" if Keldeo predicts correctly.

 

[afuyeas]

Offensive check


Tornadus (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
- Protect

252 SpA Tornadus Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Keldeo: 420-494 (130 - 152.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Superior speed? check! Threatens the ohko? check! Tornadus' huge speed comes in handy here and a lot of rain teams struggle to fit sturdy flying resists so once Torn is in it's going to be dishing out some serious pain. This set is not the only Tornadus set but as shown by the calc above any Torn set with Hurricane immediately kos Keldeo, a Hurricane that cannot miss!

 

[Undorian]

Toxicroak @ Black Sludge
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 244 HP / 96 Def / 28 SpD / 140 Spe
Impish Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Taunt

Toxicroak is immune to Keldeo´s water STABS and takes its coverage moves fairly well:

252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 244 HP / 96+ Def Toxicroak: 117-138 (31.7 - 37.5%) -- possible 5HKO after Dry Skin recovery and Black Sludge recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hidden Power Ghost vs. 244 HP / 28 SpD Toxicroak: 155-183 (42.1 - 49.7%) -- 53.1% chance to 3HKO after Dry Skin recovery and Black Sludge recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Icy Wind vs. 244 HP / 28 SpD Toxicroak: 122-144 (33.1 - 39.1%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO after Dry Skin recovery and Black Sludge recovery

Add in that it recovers an absurd 24% HP per turn in rain and even more through Drain Punch attacks, and it´s very difficult for Toxicroak to lose this battle 1 vs. 1. Bulk Up gives Toxicroak a way to fight off Calm Mind versions of Keldeo (which could be difficult to differentiate from Specs Keldeo when it switches in for the first time), as well as Swords Dance Breloom and Terrakion, and gives it a way of beating Tentacruel instead of merely sitting endlessly on it. +1 Toxicroak also beats defensive Gliscor (not its peers Landorus-Therian, Garchomp and Excadrill, though) in two rounds after Bulk Up with Ice Punch. Taunt allows Toxicroak to beat Encore Politoed, Jellicent and Rotom-Wash (as well as Sub-Tect Tentacruel) as long as the rainy weather is preserved, though if one wants to cripple them and Gastrodon on the switch, Toxic can be used instead. Speed EV´s allow it to outspeed adamant Breloom and timid Jellicent. One can go up to 216 Spe for adamant Mamoswine, but even at +1, Toxicroak gets beaten.

Please note that Toxicroak is a relatively poor team player difficult to fit on synergistic rain teams. However, it does counter Keldeo well.

 

[Aqua Jet]

Voting Phase
Apologies for being late! The Voting phase will last until tonight at 11:59pm EST (GMT -5). You can click each sprite to go to the corresponding post.

Checks


Counters


Thank you to everybody who submitted a set and have fun voting!​

 

[Jeong]

Tenta & croak.

 

[Gamer1234556]

Voting Phase
Apologies for being late! The Voting phase will last until tonight at 11:59pm EST (GMT -5). You can click each sprite to go to the corresponding post.

Checks


Thank you to everybody who submitted a set and have fun voting!​

Apparently, Jellicent and Slowking are missing here. Was this a mistake or intentional?

 

[HydreigonTheChild]

Apparently, Jellicent and Slowking are missing here. Was this a mistake or intentional?

I believe since you vote for 2 counters as well... slowking and jelli auto win by default

 

[afuyeas]

Jellicent and Celebi. Tentacruel gets 2hkod with rocks up, famously.