Good afternoon, everyone. This is the first time I've been here, so a few of you may have never seen me before. In such a case, it's great to meet you. I've been a much more casual, on-and-off player on Pokémon Showdown since 2017, and enjoyed a list of different formats, although I didn't take any of them too seriously until today. I've always loved the idea of rating other people's teams, so I thought to myself... what if I could share my first "official" ladder team? The team I'll be showcasing in this thread is for the current Doubles OU metagame. Most of the time when I make a team for a format, I want to try something new out that not a lot of people have experimented with. So without further ado, here's what I came up with. Any and all feedback is appreciated. :)
The Team Itself
Meowstic (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Skill Swap
- Role Play
- Substitute
When I first looked at the Doubles OU roster, I quickly noticed that this metagame was very "Ability-centric", if you will. I figured that opening up my new squad with a support option that could take advantage of this fact could help me get a leg up in disadvantageous matchups. I decided to enter some practice matches with a core of Amoonguss, Tapu Fini, and the set you see here. When most people look at Psychic-Type support options that are different between gender variations, 9 times out of 10 they'll probably think of Indeedee. Despite this, Meowstic is what holds this team together completely. I went with a specially defensive EV spread at first with the knowledge that special attackers may try to take advantage of the more physically based parts of my team early in a match. This set defines ability control, giving the player options to indirectly buff their other Pokémon or nerf the opponent's by using Meowstic's unique traits to the fullest. Strategies I find myself using a lot in practice with this include Intimidate shuffling (repeatedly activating the Ability against physical cores), making Amoonguss lowkey busted by giving it Prankster, and managing Terrains with Tapu Fini, just to name a few. Fake Out lets my team be even more disruptive early on by shutting down specific threats for a turn, and Substitute rounds out the set as the best possible filler moveslot I could find, as far as Prankster-friendly moves are concerned.
Amoonguss @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 232 HP / 88 Def / 188 SpD
Calm Nature
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Pollen Puff
- Protect
Amoonguss has been one of my favorites Doubles Pokémon for a while now, and with this team in particular can fill a surprisingly flexible number of roles depending on the situation at hand. The set is your basic, everyday Amoonguss redirector set, with this particular EV spread chosen to maximize Amoonguss's usefulness in the face of poor matchups such as Magic Bounce Hatterene and most mixed variants of Kyurem-Black, to name a few. Pollen Puff is a notable addition to its movepool in this generation, and even provides a 4HKO on non-Assault Vest Rillaboom variants after Grassy Terrain's healing is taken into account. Spore provides perfect-accuracy sleep against a good chunk of the metagame, but becomes extra scary to deal with if Meowstic is able to give this fun guy Prankster to utilize. Protect rounds out the set to enable Amoonguss to play a scouting role after switching with extra HP thanks to Regenerator. Protecting to keep Amoonguss healthy so it can Pollen Puff an ally later in the match is something I find myself doing more than I expected as well.
Incineroar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 68 Atk / 28 Def / 160 SpD
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Knock Off
- Parting Shot
Even if I'm not much of a fan of the species of Pokémon itself, we all know how versatile Incineroar can be when played properly. I very quickly decided on adding this set to the team due to its synergy with Meowstic via Intimidate shuffling, as well as the positive matchups I gained with this addition against a wider variety of Grass and Steel-Types compared to the other most popular Intimidate shuffler in the tier, that of course being Landorus-Therian. In a later draft of the team, i wouldn't be opposed to eventually adding one on, but for now, I enjoy Incineroar's role compression and- the other main reason I chose it over Landorus- its ability to weaken and punish Trick Room setters, which this team can struggle with otherwise. Knock Off is especially useful against NFE setters like Dusclops and Porygon2 by removing the Eviolites they so heavily rely on to stay viable throughout a match. The other moves in this set aren't that different from your usual Incineroar variants seen on low or high ladder. Flare Blitz is chosen as a STAB Fire-Type option over something like Fire Punch or other commonly used moves like U-Turn for its extra power and lack of a need for a second pivoting option on the same set, although U-Turn can enable Incineroar to pivot more safely against Pokémon that block status moves through the means of Taunt, Magic Bounce, et cetera.
Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Earth Power
- Protect
This is the team's main offensive threat, chosen due to its ability to hit hard on both sides of the attacking spectrum. Kyurem being chosen for this team slot specifically might seem a bit counter-intuitive to the team's focus on taking advantage of Abilities, but unlike the Pokémon it was competing with for this team slot, being either form of Landorus (this is assuming Landorus-Incarnate remains in OU after the ongoing suspect test), this Kyurem set can still use a Ground-Type move of some sort while offering extremely helpful type coverage in areas such as Ice and Electric. The combination of Kyurem-Black's resistances and Fusion Bolt also lets this offensive variant serve as my main check against rain offense, something that either Landorus forme would kill for. Kyurem-Black may be the Pokémon on this team who benefits the least from ability control, but its matchups against the powerful Grass, Electric and opposing Dragon-Types of the tier cement it as likely the best "last offensive Pokémon" I could add to this team.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpA
Bold Nature
- Muddy Water
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Protect
Few classic combinations in Pokémon have stood the test of time as well as the combination of Calm Mind, status immunity, and a Bold nature. Tapu Fini's ability to re-set Misty Terrain through ability control and Misty Surge is potentially game-changing, while its Water-Type and strong defensive profile provide the team with a check to bulky Fire, Ground, and Rock-Types. Now is also a good time to acknowledge how a certain Galarian form of Weezing can impact this team- sure, it's the other Misty Terrain setter often seen in the tier, but its other new Ability, Neutralizing Gas, can also be played with in funny ways thanks to Meowstic, enabling the team's Abilities to still function while keeping Misty Terrain active on both sides of the field. The STAB moves chosen for this set enable Tapu Fini to choose whether or not it wants to target one or two neutral opponents while being more meta-friendly overall compared to the other choices.
Tsareena (F) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Queenly Majesty
EVs: 240 HP / 8 Atk / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Power Whip
- U-turn
- Triple Axel
- High Jump Kick
Finally, we have my choice of another physical attacker and counter against opposing priority-based strategies. Upon my first glances into the tier, I didn't understand why someone would choose this Pokémon over, say, Rillaboom or Kartana (before it was banned). As it turns out, Queenly Majesty is a more useful anti-meta tool than a newer player might expect. The Assault Vest set in particular helps the team in matchups against specific Pokémon I haven't mentioned yet, such as a Heatran that could easily switch in on one of those other physical Grass-Types I mentioned. In practice, I also found that Triple Axel proved extremely successful against most Grass-resistant Pokémon that aren't already weak to U-Turn or High Jump Kick. 240 HP EVs, 8 SpDef EVs, and the item choice provide Tsareena with pretty decent special bulk. Finally, there is one last matchup I must mention here, that being Milotic, whose Competitive ability is normally excellent against Intimidate shuffling, and the inclusion of a bulky physical Grass-Type like this helps make the justification of special defensive investment across the team much more manageable.
This post will be continued later, because I have to go eat dinner and I've already been called down twice while typing this.
The Team Itself
Meowstic (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Skill Swap
- Role Play
- Substitute
When I first looked at the Doubles OU roster, I quickly noticed that this metagame was very "Ability-centric", if you will. I figured that opening up my new squad with a support option that could take advantage of this fact could help me get a leg up in disadvantageous matchups. I decided to enter some practice matches with a core of Amoonguss, Tapu Fini, and the set you see here. When most people look at Psychic-Type support options that are different between gender variations, 9 times out of 10 they'll probably think of Indeedee. Despite this, Meowstic is what holds this team together completely. I went with a specially defensive EV spread at first with the knowledge that special attackers may try to take advantage of the more physically based parts of my team early in a match. This set defines ability control, giving the player options to indirectly buff their other Pokémon or nerf the opponent's by using Meowstic's unique traits to the fullest. Strategies I find myself using a lot in practice with this include Intimidate shuffling (repeatedly activating the Ability against physical cores), making Amoonguss lowkey busted by giving it Prankster, and managing Terrains with Tapu Fini, just to name a few. Fake Out lets my team be even more disruptive early on by shutting down specific threats for a turn, and Substitute rounds out the set as the best possible filler moveslot I could find, as far as Prankster-friendly moves are concerned.
Amoonguss @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 232 HP / 88 Def / 188 SpD
Calm Nature
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Pollen Puff
- Protect
Amoonguss has been one of my favorites Doubles Pokémon for a while now, and with this team in particular can fill a surprisingly flexible number of roles depending on the situation at hand. The set is your basic, everyday Amoonguss redirector set, with this particular EV spread chosen to maximize Amoonguss's usefulness in the face of poor matchups such as Magic Bounce Hatterene and most mixed variants of Kyurem-Black, to name a few. Pollen Puff is a notable addition to its movepool in this generation, and even provides a 4HKO on non-Assault Vest Rillaboom variants after Grassy Terrain's healing is taken into account. Spore provides perfect-accuracy sleep against a good chunk of the metagame, but becomes extra scary to deal with if Meowstic is able to give this fun guy Prankster to utilize. Protect rounds out the set to enable Amoonguss to play a scouting role after switching with extra HP thanks to Regenerator. Protecting to keep Amoonguss healthy so it can Pollen Puff an ally later in the match is something I find myself doing more than I expected as well.
Incineroar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 68 Atk / 28 Def / 160 SpD
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Knock Off
- Parting Shot
Even if I'm not much of a fan of the species of Pokémon itself, we all know how versatile Incineroar can be when played properly. I very quickly decided on adding this set to the team due to its synergy with Meowstic via Intimidate shuffling, as well as the positive matchups I gained with this addition against a wider variety of Grass and Steel-Types compared to the other most popular Intimidate shuffler in the tier, that of course being Landorus-Therian. In a later draft of the team, i wouldn't be opposed to eventually adding one on, but for now, I enjoy Incineroar's role compression and- the other main reason I chose it over Landorus- its ability to weaken and punish Trick Room setters, which this team can struggle with otherwise. Knock Off is especially useful against NFE setters like Dusclops and Porygon2 by removing the Eviolites they so heavily rely on to stay viable throughout a match. The other moves in this set aren't that different from your usual Incineroar variants seen on low or high ladder. Flare Blitz is chosen as a STAB Fire-Type option over something like Fire Punch or other commonly used moves like U-Turn for its extra power and lack of a need for a second pivoting option on the same set, although U-Turn can enable Incineroar to pivot more safely against Pokémon that block status moves through the means of Taunt, Magic Bounce, et cetera.
Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Earth Power
- Protect
This is the team's main offensive threat, chosen due to its ability to hit hard on both sides of the attacking spectrum. Kyurem being chosen for this team slot specifically might seem a bit counter-intuitive to the team's focus on taking advantage of Abilities, but unlike the Pokémon it was competing with for this team slot, being either form of Landorus (this is assuming Landorus-Incarnate remains in OU after the ongoing suspect test), this Kyurem set can still use a Ground-Type move of some sort while offering extremely helpful type coverage in areas such as Ice and Electric. The combination of Kyurem-Black's resistances and Fusion Bolt also lets this offensive variant serve as my main check against rain offense, something that either Landorus forme would kill for. Kyurem-Black may be the Pokémon on this team who benefits the least from ability control, but its matchups against the powerful Grass, Electric and opposing Dragon-Types of the tier cement it as likely the best "last offensive Pokémon" I could add to this team.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpA
Bold Nature
- Muddy Water
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Protect
Few classic combinations in Pokémon have stood the test of time as well as the combination of Calm Mind, status immunity, and a Bold nature. Tapu Fini's ability to re-set Misty Terrain through ability control and Misty Surge is potentially game-changing, while its Water-Type and strong defensive profile provide the team with a check to bulky Fire, Ground, and Rock-Types. Now is also a good time to acknowledge how a certain Galarian form of Weezing can impact this team- sure, it's the other Misty Terrain setter often seen in the tier, but its other new Ability, Neutralizing Gas, can also be played with in funny ways thanks to Meowstic, enabling the team's Abilities to still function while keeping Misty Terrain active on both sides of the field. The STAB moves chosen for this set enable Tapu Fini to choose whether or not it wants to target one or two neutral opponents while being more meta-friendly overall compared to the other choices.
Tsareena (F) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Queenly Majesty
EVs: 240 HP / 8 Atk / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Power Whip
- U-turn
- Triple Axel
- High Jump Kick
Finally, we have my choice of another physical attacker and counter against opposing priority-based strategies. Upon my first glances into the tier, I didn't understand why someone would choose this Pokémon over, say, Rillaboom or Kartana (before it was banned). As it turns out, Queenly Majesty is a more useful anti-meta tool than a newer player might expect. The Assault Vest set in particular helps the team in matchups against specific Pokémon I haven't mentioned yet, such as a Heatran that could easily switch in on one of those other physical Grass-Types I mentioned. In practice, I also found that Triple Axel proved extremely successful against most Grass-resistant Pokémon that aren't already weak to U-Turn or High Jump Kick. 240 HP EVs, 8 SpDef EVs, and the item choice provide Tsareena with pretty decent special bulk. Finally, there is one last matchup I must mention here, that being Milotic, whose Competitive ability is normally excellent against Intimidate shuffling, and the inclusion of a bulky physical Grass-Type like this helps make the justification of special defensive investment across the team much more manageable.
This post will be continued later, because I have to go eat dinner and I've already been called down twice while typing this.
