OU GSC OU Sample Teams Breakdown (Updated July 2023)

[Shedinja-43152]

Standard Agility Baton Pass
(click sprites for team)

Overview:
Full Baton Pass: a team style almost impossible in future generations, GSC the only generation with Baton Pass that has not outright banned it or implemented bans to limit its power. Despite Baton Pass's broken nature in other generations, it is totally balanced in GSC. The main reason for this is that it is easy to disrupt BP chains in GSC with phazing moves, and that phazing moves are virtually required on every team. As a consequence, full BP is not a reliable playstyle in GSC OU, but it is dangerous regardless, as a single misplay from the opponent can end a game. Additionally, teams with only one phazer have a disadvantage against Spore + Baton Pass Smeargle, which can be taken advantage of by a shrewd player.
Putting that spiel aside, this team uses Agility + Baton Pass from Smeargle, Scizor, and Jolteon to enable Snorlax, Marowak, or Machamp to outspeed and sweep opposing teams.
Read this excellent post by Jorgen for more information: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/gsc-bp.3541165/ (Note this post was made in a time before Sleep move + Trapping move was banned)

Matchups:
Defensive checks: This list is simplified and only describes a general overview. Depending on the game state, HP remaining on/status condition of the team, the opponent's move sets, and presence of status moves/Explosion, the defensive matchups may change.

Checks: Anything with less than 248 speed when Sleep Clause is not active. Otherwise nothing.

Checks:

Checks: Nothing.

Checks: Nothing.

Checks:

Checks: Nothing.

It may be strange to see so little defensive utility on a team. This just puts into perspective how full Baton Pass is an all or nothing strategy. While Snorlax, Marowak, and Machamp have defensive utility in a vacuum, if you actually need to use that utility you have almost certainly already won or lost the match. This team always wants to be in control of the pace of the game.

Offensive abilities: It is much easier to discern the offensive roles of the team just by looking at each members' move sets. This section will cover each mon's specific offensive duties required to support the team.

Smeargle is the tier's most potent speed passer because of access to Spore. Against a lead Smeargle the opponent has to make an difficult choice: will this Smeargle use Spore or Agility? This is even confounded by the existence of lead Smeargle with Mirror Coat or even the rare Counter which make deciding on the correct course of action even more difficult for an opponent without knowledge of the team. Ideally the opponent switches out to a slower Sleep Talker as Smeargle uses Agility allowing the BP to increase the pressure while keeping Smeargle healthy and without activating Sleep Clause. The worst case scenario for this team is for Smeargle to use Spore without first using Agility, as the opponent can then switch to their Phazer or Spiker with little threat. What really makes Smeargle the best speed passer is the threat of Spore, once it has been used Smeargle's utility is much diminished. However just the threat alone can force the opponent to waste turns (switch) which is a common tactic used by this team.

Scizor's niche as a Baton Passer is access to both Swords Dance and Agility, and being a normal resist. With these traits Scizor can boost both important stats so that Snorlax, Marowak, and Machamp can sweep without taking damage when they set up. As a normal resist, Scizor will also survive any one Explosion that can otherwise prevent a Baton Pass chain. As a trade-off for these benefits, Scizor is easily phazed by most common phazers, while only being truly threatening to Tyranitar. Conveniently, many offense and some stall teams use Tyranitar as their sole phazer.

Snorlax is the least desirable agility pass recipient on this team as it must sacrifice 50% of its HP to maximize attack, while still being outsped by anything is base 110 speed or greater when at +2 speed. However since Snorlax has all the physical coverage it needs with Double-Edge and Earthquake, it can afford to run Protect to block Explosions and allow for Leftovers recovery after using Belly Drum or taking DE recoil damage. Though this set is defeated by Skarmory the damage Skamory takes will assist Marowak or Machamp. It is also worth noting that Steelix will always survive a +6 Snorlax Earthquake and can explode or Roar in return.

Marowak receives +2 speed and uses Swords Dance to sweep almost the entire tier. Only a few mons can in Marowak's way, namely Cloyster, Skarmory, and Suicune. In order to allow a Marowak sweep, these opponents must be chipped down before, either with Spikes or Snorlax/Machamp, or Marowak must rely on Rock Slide flinches. Curse + RestTalk Heracross can also stop Marowak, though HP Flying over HP Bug removes that roadblock.

Jolteon is an excellent speed passer because there are very few mons that can safely phaze it. Roar Raikou, Zapdos, and Tyranitar are the most reliable, though Roar Raikou and Zapdos are less common variants while Tyranitar is susceptible to being worn down if it only uses Roar. Other common phazers such as Golem, Skarmory, Steelix, and Rhydon will have a difficult time phazing Jolteon more than once. Like Smeargle, the threat of Jolteon's attack can force the opponent to switch out, providing free turns.

Machamp recieves +2 speed, and preferably +2 attack from Scizor, since Scizor is not the most reliable passer, Machamp also uses Meditate to boost its attack without the speed lowering consequences of Curse. With attack and speed boosts, Machamp can sweep through teams at a similar level of efficiency as Marowak though lacks some reliability with Cross Chop accuracy, and a few walls to this set such as Nidoking and Heracross. One benefit of Machamp is that it can OHKO Skarmory with a +1 attack Critical Cross Chop, something that Marowak is incapable of. As Skarmory is also one of the few phazers that can answer Machamp, this damage can also be useful if Marowak can be passed to later in the game.

Team Synergy:
This team is considered the standard baton pass because it uses the three best agility passers combined with the three best physical speed pass recipients. Smeargle, Scizor, and Jolteon work well together with their different strengths: status, Swords Dance, and special coverage which allows at least one of the passers the opportunity to pass against an opponent who cannot immediately phaze out the pass recipient. Snorlax, Marowak and Machamp are the to-go pass recipients because of their high attack stats, low speed, and because they share similar physically defensive checks, increasing the odds that the team can overload the opponent's defense.
While this team is not the most consistent, it is always present in the meta to catch lazy teambuilders or conservative players off guard. As such, being able to consistently beat standard baton pass can be seen as a benchmark for good teambuilding and competent playing.

Replays: (may feature small variations of the team)
GSC OU Ladder Sample Sampler vs. lehealthymetafairy (Standard Baton Pass vs. Starmie Stall)
GSC OU Ladder Sample Sampler vs. WeR#3Hay! (Standard Baton Pass vs. Jynx Gengar Offense)

It is difficult to find replays of full baton pass where there is significant counter play from both the opponent and user. Frequently the Baton Pass team wins because the opponent did not have the tools to deal with BP, or they misplayed. As a substitute I will write briefly about Baton Pass counter play in this section. Ordered in level of importance,

1. Don't let your phazer(s) get slept. Unlike in future generations, the only way to block a phazing move is to use a move with lower priority. If a baton passing team has activated sleep clause, it is much easier to prevent a BP chain, try to force the use of their sleep move on a Sleep Talk mon if possible.

2. Survive the first pass chain. Due to the Smeargle's Spore, it is almost impossible to prevent BP teams from getting one agility pass off. If your team survived the first boosted attacker, it is much easier to prevent it from happening again. The most common mon for this on offense is Cloyster, while on stall, Skarmory. Keep your checks to Snorlax/Marowak/Machamp awake and at 100%.

3. Set up Spikes. Baton Pass teams do not use Leftovers on every slot. By getting Spikes up you can prevent the BP team from endlessly Baton Passing while a phazer can also quickly wear down the fragile team structure.

4. Be bold. The baton passing team does not want to waste turns attacking without proper setup. The baton pass team wants to spend its turns setting up and baton passing. Stay in with Skamory on Jolteon, let Tyranitar take an HP Bug/Fighting. Playing predictable make it much easier for the BP. But don't rely on risky plays as the first choice, they can backfire spectacularly.

I like this team the most, I'm wondering...
What is the best counter team to use against him?

 

[Siatam]

Double Electric + Gengar Offense
(click sprites for team)

Overview:
Double electric builds have traditionally been limited to stall teams. Since Zapdos is the best special attacker in the tier and a no-brainer pick on most offenses it is difficult for Raikou to compete for the electric slot. Doubling up on the electrics is simple enough, but the overlapping offensive profiles of Zapdos and Raikou make the team simpler to wall. However, Raikou brings useful defensive traits to the team and matches up well against many common offensive threats. Gengar complements the double electric style very well, keeping spikes on the field, threatening most mons with its special attacks, and threatening to explode on special walls to open up Zapdos and Raikou. Golem supports the team nicely with utility Rapid Spin, Roar and Explosion while the ubiquitous Cloyster and Snorlax round off the squad.
This team aims to break others down with a combination of Spikes, powerful electric attacks, Curse + Earthquake Snorlax, and a handful of Explosions while still remaining surprisingly sturdy with the help of Raikou.

Matchups:
Defensive checks: This list is simplified and only describes a general overview. Depending on the game state, HP remaining on/status condition of the team, the opponent's move sets, and presence of status moves/Explosion, the defensive matchups may change.

Checks:

Checks:

Checks:

Checks:

Checks:

Checks: (Non Curse)

Offensive abilities: It is much easier to discern the offensive roles of the team just by looking at each members' move sets. This section will cover each mon's specific offensive duties required to support the team.

The combination of Thunder and HP Ice, along with the sustain offer by Rest and Sleep Talk enables Zapdos to deal impressive damage while remaining healthy for the duration of the game. When combined with Spikes, there are very few opponents that can comfortably switch into Zapdos, namely Raikou and Blissey. If these defensive answers are removed Zapdos + Spikes is a viable win condition.

Raikou packs less offensive power compared to Zapdos, but can throw out attacks more often courtesy of its defensive profile. Thunder + Hidden Power Water is generally less desirable than Hidden Power Ice in a vacuum, but the combination of HP Ice on Zapdos and HP Water on Raikou lets pair threaten a wider array of electric checks. Just like Zapdos, Raikou is all about maintaining offensive pressure while staying healthy for the course of the game.

Cloyster's primary job is to get Spikes up, and stay healthy to keep Spikes on the field if the opposing teams has the means to remove them. Toxic can commonly be used to wear down opposing Cloyster and force Snorlax to use Rest. The combination of Surf + Explosion is able to threaten almost every mon in the meta-game, allowing Cloyster to secure KO's with good predictions. If Spikes cannot be removed by the opponent, Cloyster becomes a valuable tool used to forces trades with the opponent.

Golem's utility is that is can check Snorlax, spin away Spikes, and explode as a last-ditch effort. Removing Spikes is always preferable, but this team not particularly susceptible to Spikes chip. However, Golem is a proficient Rapid Spinner, nicely threatening the spinblockers of Gengar and Misdreavus with Earthquake and overall giving you an edge up in the Spikes game compared to other normal resists. Golem primary objective isn't always to spin away Spikes though. Using Golem's Explosion to remove the opponent's Snorlax is a very valuable trade to make when paired with Zapdos and Raikou.

Gengar's Electric + Ice coverage is always useful, but often plays third fiddle as a specially offensive threat behind Zapdos and Raikou. The key feature here for Gengar is its access to Explosion, which allows it to threaten specially defensive walls. Opposing Snorlax, Raikou, and Blissey are important targets for Gengar's Explosion, as their absence can make the opponent much weaker to the onslaught of Thunders coming from Zap and Kou. Dynamic Punch makes Gengar even more of a nuisance to switch in on or try to Pursuit trap. This enables Gengar to target special walls with its Explosion more often instead of being forced to explode against Umbreon or Tyranitar. Gengar also provides the invaluable trait of being a Rapid Spin blocker, making it more difficult for the opponent to remove Spikes from their side of the field.

While dropping Sleep Talk on Snorlax typically comes with its defensive challenges, Raikou assumes many of Snorlax's typical defensive responsibilities and allows Curse/DE/EQ Snorlax ravage opponents not using Skarmory. Snorlax is effective in any stage of the game, with fews mon in the meta that consistently wall it and very few options that can force it out. (Machamp and Explosion) Rest allows Snorlax to not be crippled by status, and provides it with more opportunities to switch in and set up Curse, but comes at the cost of giving 2 free turns to the opponent. So while this Snorlax can threaten almost every mon in the meta, it must keep a close eye on its health and status in order to be fully utilized.

Team Synergy:
Zapdos and Raikou's nearly identical offensive coverage is less than desirable, but their defensive synergy is very robust. Sleep Talk Zapdos and Raikou combined give the team consistent answers to most status spreaders in the tier. In general Raikou can wall most special attacking threats while Zapdos is a proficient mixed wall. On the flipside, the trio of Cloyster, Golem, and Gengar combine to give opposing Snorlax a hard time and against against physical attackers that can threaten Zapdos and Raikou. Snorlax is more than capable of taking hits, but prefers to lean on its teammates and preserve its HP to be a more effective Curse user. The inclusion of Raikou is critical to make this combination of Golem + non Sleep Talk Snorlax operate. Without Raikou this team would be very susceptible to special attackers and there really is not other special wall that can match Raikou's offensive production (ignoring Snorlax).
On the offense side of things there are three main avenues of attack: Electric spam + Gengar, Spikes + Rapid Spin + spinblocking, and Curse + Earthquake Snorlax. Zapdos and Raikou's overlapping offenses can be a downside, but quickly become overwhelming of Gengar's Explosion manages to pick of a key special wall. Gengar also lends its abilities as a spinblocker to form an efficient Spikes based core with Cloyster and Golem. These three grant this team an above average amount of utility in the Spikes war for an offensive team. Three Explosions is also not a bad thing. Curse + Earthquake Snorlax can operate as a physical attacking threat independent of the rest of the team, requiring no particular offensive support. However, if this team runs into Skarmory it will need to pivot to a special attacking focused strategy as it will struggle to break Skarm.

Replays: (may feature small variations to the team)
SPL XIV ggggd vs. Quartos (Double Electric + Gengar Offense vs. Paralysis + Marowak)
SPL XIV Century Express vs. M Dragon (Double Electric + Gengar Offense vs. Double Electric + Misdreavus Stall)

 

[chio]

Thanks to Siatam for updating Sample Teams, and to the many players who are supporting him.
I was at a loss because I didn't know the standards of the offensive Double Electric Team, but the standardization by the sample team made my study easier.

Also, this is due to metagame changes, so it can't be helped, but I'm personally a little sad that Sunny Day Spam Team retired from the sample team.
I think this is not just a fun team, it has a certain rationale and will be actually threat for some competitive teams which have a thin countermeasures against Special attackers other than Electric.
(Although it may lose an advantageous game due to Fire Blast's poor accuracy)