MONKEY (1700+)

[serperiorr]

ZARUDE BALANCE

Introduction
I've been on a mons hiatus for a while now, so when I come back to see gastrodon + rotom-W + ferro spammed on ladder, I knew I had to step in. Zarude balance; took me to 1700s (I was stuck in low ladder hell thru experimenting with wack teams), maybe I'll try ladder again to reach 1800s+ who knows. Btw, this team crushes low ladder since people just do not know what zarude does.

Pokepaste
https://pokepast.es/a9eca51b2152e2a9

Team Analysis

Goblin @ Leftovers
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Jungle Healing​

Goblin. Zarude is incredibly underrated, it has a unique distinction of being a grass type that does not mind status. Unlike ferro, who hates rotom's burn, or weak ass Rilla, who can't handle any status. Therefore, Zarude can switch into most scald spamming mons e.g. gastro. Additionally, leech seed immunity makes Zarude a pretty good ferro check, and dark type is very useful to prevent choice-locked ghosts from spamming shadow ball. Zarude's mere presence can make endgames turn into 50/50s with mons like blace, or also condition pult into using u-turn the entire game. Zarude also makes a really good check to defensive chomp/hippo, and emergency checks rain threats such as seismitoad. Keep in mind that Zarude can 1v1 most corv/skarm because Darkest Lariat ignores Defense boosts.

Unfortunately, Zarude is slower and OHKOd by Weavile, scarf lele, and is incredibly weak to U-Turn. It's also walled by bisharp. Thus, I have chosen these teammates.

0 Atk Corviknight U-turn vs. +2 4 HP / 0 Def Zarude: 88-108 (25 - 30.6%) -- 0.5% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 252 HP / 164+ Def Landorus-Therian: 109-130 (28.5 - 34%) -- 99% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

(Putting these calcs here to show when exactly zarude can setup/kill lando without boosts)

Yonkers @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Magma Storm
- Body Press
- Taunt / Heavy Slam​

Physdef tran is such a good stealth rocker on this team. Because boosted zarude pretty much forces Weavile to click triple axel, tran can easily fish for burn and get up rocks. Zarude also baits U-turn from lando/pult/urshifu where you can always fish for burn with tran since people mostly expect flash fire and think they can u-turn freely. Body press over EP to beat air balloon tran, blissey and ttar. Taunt over toxic to punish pex and clef, a steel move could be an alternative here. Missing out on toxic is annoying but from experience, magma storm is enough for tran and chomp on switch-ins. Physdef tran also beats bisharp which zarude has trouble beating. Tran synergises really well w Zarude since gastro and rotom get schooled by zarude clicking jungle healing, so rocks can be set up for free.

She @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 Spe
Impish Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dual Wingbeat
- Substitute
- Roost​

Demon set. The exact spread always lives lando's knock, whilst coincidentally reaching 351 speed at +1. I've swept so many teams unprepared for this dnite, as people dance around potential coverage moves which gives me opportunities to sub. Again, this is another weavile triple axel lure to hopefully burn it through tran. Defensively, this dnite beats kart, urshifu, lando (with sub up) rilla, tran, both volcs, blaziken, rain/sun, non-gyro ferro, and also pp stalls Double Iron Bash from non-CB melmetal (I think).

252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 104+ Def Multiscale Dragonite: 75-89 (19.4 - 23%) -- possible 5HKO

(Dnite 1v1s LO kart through sub+roost stalling at +1 speed since kart kills itself through recoil)

Transylvania @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 244 SpD / 12 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double Iron Bash
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Protect​

Melm does melm things. I normally use melm to switch into pult/lele to scout for a move, so feel free to use AV. However, I really like toxic to bait in zapdos, which the team struggles to break through brute force. A second steel was chosen even with tran since tran can struggle with longevity, especially when weav knocks off its lefties, and as a backup for weav if it doesn't get burned + a backup for lele. Furthermore, Zarude can't beat clef unless your opponent throws, so melm is here to one shot clef. Toxic is really important for aforementioned zap + whittling down lando to the point where zarude can kill w power whip. Melm is also broken since it lives any attack, so it acts as an emergency answer to really tough MUs. I also like melm+tran since you can double out into tran on their corv to rack up rocks chip in case it's iron defense corv (which can be tough for zarude). Melm is also a decent switch into glowking.

Tron Cat @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off / Toxic
- Defog
- U-turn​

The goat of OU, lando is once again here to fulfil everything. Knock off for zapdos, opposing lando, and corv. SpD to pivot into pult/blace to see what attack it goes for. Ground+electric immunity, defogger, tran check. I don't need to explain why lando+tran is good.

Fish @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Misty Surge
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 44 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald / Hydro Pump
- Moonblast
- Trick
- Taunt
​

Probably the most iffy/replacable slot on the team for a few reasons, but still a pretty good mon so idk what to think of this. First, the negatives: misty surge has negative synergy w/ tran's flame body which is actually really annoying in practice since I lead fini a lot so misty terrain is usually present. Second, I often lead fini vs lead zapdos and trick, which makes me lose a lot of speed control which can suck against blace, pult, weav, etc. However, fini really helps as a glue to check weav+urshifu, offensively check fast mons, and also help break stall thru trick + taunt. Also, smogon recommends scald but I've had so many experiences where I'd wish I was hydro pump (e.g. vs lando and especially bitchass nidoking). Try either and see what works.

Threatlist​

Outspeeds and OHKOs everything, or is slower than fini and zarude but not OHKOd. Terrible MU, luckily nidoking has no longevity and usually gets 2 kills max. A good nidoking player will fuck you up.

I only put these here since they are tough to deal with on paper, but the team definitely has tools to break these mons. E.g. knock on lando/trick on fini. Not really threats, but play carefully.

specs zone hits really hard and usually you'll need lando for its teammates

most teams struggle vs victini, since you have to play with 50/50s if the vic uses glaciate/v-create

honestly idek if gengar is a threat i just ran into it once and it was scary

checks zarude and annoying to switch into, make sure to knock its helmet off

Replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1613152779

VS


Pressure stall, zarude sweeps

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1613156847-i42lk7w9lh30lfvfvxmsmxztdzakldfpw

VS


Did not see regieleki on team preview so I sacced lando but still won. Never punished

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1613062831

VS


Absolute zarude obliteration

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1612978690

VS


Lead zarude 6-0

Conclusion​

Thanks for reading this RMT, really appreciate any feedback in the comments. (Haven't done an RMT since last year). Anyways, hope you use this to destroy ladder or use zarude in other cool ways. :)

 

[dreepy]

Do you have the replay with the gengar mu?

 

[serperiorr]

Do you have the replay with the gengar mu?

no, i beat him tho. ended up tricking gengar my scarf to prevent NP stuff

 

[memesketch]

This team is awesome, looks tailor made to Zarude's strengths and the techs on Heatran and Dnite are especially really cool. With Nido being public enemy number 1 for the squad AV Melm and Toxic Lando may be the better pairing after all, since you lure and destroy Nido w/ AV Melm and still easily get a Toxic off on Zapdos and Torn with Lando - I'm also thinking Lando Knock could throw a wrench in Fini Trick shenanigans if the opp predicts well. AV Melm also helps vs Gengar and NP Torn since your answers to those mons are few and far between otherwise (they both do major damage to everything, especially if Fini's already Tricked something). If you want to run AV Melm get it to 376 Attack, that should be the magic number for DIB to OHKO both Nido and offensive Torn. Of course feel free to disregard if you prefer Lando forcing more progress with Knock and Melm having a little more longevity, just a thought and either way I think the team looks great. Good luck on your push to 1800s and beyond!

 

[serperiorr]

This team is awesome, looks tailor made to Zarude's strengths and the techs on Heatran and Dnite are especially really cool. With Nido being public enemy number 1 for the squad AV Melm and Toxic Lando may be the better pairing after all, since you lure and destroy Nido w/ AV Melm and still easily get a Toxic off on Zapdos and Torn with Lando - I'm also thinking Lando Knock could throw a wrench in Fini Trick shenanigans if the opp predicts well. AV Melm also helps vs Gengar and NP Torn since your answers to those mons are few and far between otherwise (they both do major damage to everything, especially if Fini's already Tricked something). If you want to run AV Melm get it to 376 Attack, that should be the magic number for DIB to OHKO both Nido and offensive Torn. Of course feel free to disregard if you prefer Lando forcing more progress with Knock and Melm having a little more longevity, just a thought and either way I think the team looks great. Good luck on your push to 1800s and beyond!

Thanks for reading the RMT! I have considered AV melm but I think in practice it won't be as effective in the nidoking matchup to the point I'd give up on toxic + lefties. However, I'll try toxic on lando and see how it works out. :)

 

[shawk*+:)]

I fw the tyler, the creator nicknames. Well done on making zarude work :)

 

[Yippie]

reject humanity return to monke ! , noice team bro , also i think scarf zarude would feet honetsly these type of team , as a setter , i dont think it can work well in ss , maybe in certain matchups but not more than that