Gen 8 Pincurchin + Barb Clef Semi-TR (1900+ Peak)

Yo! Whaddup fellow OU players! Been a while since I posted a team, but I promise I’ve been hard at work. Today I have a team featuring… Pincurchin! To say this mon’s already tiny OU fell off after the introduction of Tapu Koko would be an understatement, and the introduction of rising voltage just wasn’t enough to push it back into the niche role it once had. However, I tried to find a new niche for Pincurchin to fill, and I really think it worked out! Enjoy!

Team paste—>https://pokepast.es/c1a714682942dbb0



(NOT CLICKBAIT) (Pincurchin) @ Life Orb
Ability: Electric Surge
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 224 HP / 28 Atk / 2 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
  • Rising Voltage
  • Hydro Pump
  • Spikes
  • Self-Destruct

Pincurchin, the star of the show! I decided to go with an offensive Trick Room set because this thing is way too slow and frail to use outside of Trick Room (Ditto HP combined with sub-100 defenses on a Pokemon with 15 base speed? I mean really GameFreak?). Rising Voltage hits super hard with a Life Orb, scoring OHKOs on Pokemon like standard Protective Pads Melmetal, Victini, Buzzwole, and more. Hydro Pump is great coverage for the grounds of OU, doing a solid 60% (58% minimum) to full Specially Defensive Landorus, scoring a 2HKO on Specially Defensive Hippowdon, and OHKOing standard offensive Excadrill. Spikes helps to facilitate it’s breaking potential as well as help the rest of the team thrive, getting spikes up on switches into grounds that it can’t touch, namely Gastrodon and Garchomp. Self-Destruct is great for picking off gastrodon after it’s been worn down by spikes, killing at around 65% (62% minimum), as well as killing Tapu Lele after Spikes or Stealth Rock, killing garchomp at various percents depending on the EV spread, and killing Slowking-Galar from full after a Rising Voltage, allowing Amoonguss and Clefable to capitalize. It also can bring down the occasional Rotom-Wash, which can be a bit of a nuisance to the later mentioned Excadrill.


3 AM (Slowbro) @ Heavy Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 2 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
  • Trick Room
  • Scald
  • Slack Off
  • Teleport

Slowbro is here to facilitate Pincurchin and do Slowbro things. A specially defensive spread is used so that I can set up Trick Room on a more diverse cast of Pokemon, as well as checking/scouting Tapu Lele. Slowbro is also the team’s main answer to Heatran, another reason why a specially defensive spread is desired. Slowbro’s Trick Room also helps facilitate other Pokemon on the team, as you’ll soon see.


(IMPOSSIBLE) (Excadrill) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 2 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
  • Rapid Spin
  • Earthquake
  • Iron Head
  • Swords Dance
An abuser of the later mentioned Tyranitar’a sand, Excadrill serves as the team’s speed control, hazard removal, electric immunity, superficial ground immunity, and wincon. Excadrill is often a beneficiary of the wallbreaking/luring done by Pincurchin, helping chip down Pokemon like Landorus and Garchomp that could prove to be annoying otherwise. While Air Balloon is there primarily because it’s nice to have a ground immunity, balloon Excadrill is a great Pokemon in its own right, turning non-flamethrower Tankchomp into setup fodder and being able to get an SD up vs Landorus.


CHALLENGE (Tyranitar) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 2 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
  • Stone Edge
  • Crunch
  • Superpower
  • Ice Punch

Another wallbreaker paired with pincurchin for the purpose of threatening Pokemon such as Blissey and Slowking-Galar (if you don’t want to explode) that Pincurchin can struggle with, as well as a breaker that can function outside of Trick Room. Tyranitar is also the team’s only ghost resist, and other Pokemon will usually scout for a ghost move before Tyranitar gets sent in (except for blacephalon, then you just go hard Tyranitar). Ice Punch is namely for unwary Garchomp and Landorus, as well as providing what can sometimes be a spammable move lategame. Superpower is my preferred steel coverage, being much stronger than both Earthquake and Fire Punch, allowing to revenge Melmetal from more percents, a huge threat to the team, as well as other Pokemon who need to be killed from the percent they’re at with a neutral Superpower in order to avoid a switchin to something like ferrothorn. (ie. Garchomp, Alolatales, Arctozolt)


AMONG US (Amoongus) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenrator
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 2 SpA / 88 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 7 Spe
  • Giga Drain
  • Sludge Bomb
  • Foul Play
  • Spore

Amoonguss is the grass of choice for this team. Amoonguss serves as my Kartana answer, Rillaboom answer, Urshifu answer, Tapu Koko answer, and emergency Garchomp answer. Amoonguss is used over Tangrowth on this team due to the fact that it beats Tapu Fini, resists Tapu Lele Moonblast after being scouted by Slowbro, and a fake ghost resist in order to scout Dragapult’s move before switching to Tyranitar. Amoonguss also functions surprisingly well in Trick Room, packing a spore that goes before just about everything, having decent neutral coverage with it’s dual stabs and Foul Play to pick off any Pokemon that feel like setting up. For more offensive teams, Trick Room Amoonguss can prove to be quite annoying. Amoonguss also provides an essential role in beating Melmetal, forcing damage through Rocky Helmet chip damage vs Double Iron Bash or Thunder Punch targeted at Slowbro.


(GONE WRONG) (Clefable) @ Sticky Barb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 2 SpD / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
  • Moonblast
  • Soft-Boiled
  • Stealth Rock
  • Trick

To round off the team we have ol’ reliable Clefable, the team’s Stealth Rock user. Max defense allows it to switch into weaker Earthquakes such as those from bulky Landorus and Tankchomp, as well as tanking an Earthquake from full from +2 Garchomp. Sticky Barb is a great tool for wearing down Pincurchin’s checks, such as Specially Defensive Tankchomp, Landorus, and Ferrothorn. These checks often overlap with Excadrill’s, meaning it facilitates Excadrill just as well and often allows for an Excadrill endgame in certain matchups. In Melmetal matchups, Clefable will often have to be sacked by tricking Melmetal 1v1, since the team is quite weak to it. Versus AV Melmetal you may be able to play around it with Slowbro and Amoonguss, however. Clefable will be the lead Pokemon in most matchups, tricking lead Landorus and getting up Stealth Rock early into the game. If you think they’ll lead Tornadus, however, Slowbro is usually the lead of choice.



And that’s the team! To be honest I wasn’t expecting such good results from an untiered Pokemon, but Pincurchin honestly surprised me. Thoughts? Criticisms? Share down below! See you guys in gen 9!


Proof of peak:



Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1701793741 vs Washtom balance

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1702533099 vs Zarude offense

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1702607351 vs Zapdos offense

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1701817649-yc0h1puidv9n49mchz2pm98850nruhwpw vs CM Koko BO

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1699435007 weird glitched replay? (Ends before the end of the game)
 

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I’d just like to add, the bisharp MU is very tough. You have to position well with Slowbro and Amoongus, making sure that it can’t set up for free outside of TR. Crawdaunt is a similar deal, although arguably a better MU thanks to Clefable not dying in 1 hit to a non-boosted Crabhammer. Fortunately neither of these Pokemon are super common, but it’s definitely a noteable flaw with the team.
 

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