Rate My OU Team

[DDnite]

This is a team I have been using for about 2 weeks and has netted me many victories in Ladder battles. It is a sandstorm-based team that tries to abuse residual damage and entry hazards while KOing opponents occassionally.
When the foe's team is weakened, the last member of my team will usually find a chance to set up and finish off the opponent's Pokemon.

Anyway, here is the team:

Hippowdon @ Lum Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP/170 Def/88 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
- Ice Fang

This is my lead. He provides sandstorm for the rest of the match, unless something like Abomasnow appears or the opponent sets up Rain Dance/Sunny Day. He also almost always sets up Stealth Rock and then is able to Slack Off the Damage taken or abuse SR with Roar. Ice Fang was chosen over Earthquake to KO Gliscor that may switch in and Taunt, score some damage on Aerodactyl and Roserade Leads and avoid getting walled by an Azelf that Taunted. I usually keep him alive for the rest of the match as its tanking abilities are amazing and can shuffle the opponent's team. Lum Berry over Leftovers so that I can wake up against Roserade leads and damage it sufficiently in order for Rotom-W to KO.

Forretress @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/114 Atk/144 Def
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Gyro Ball

One of the best Pokemon to set up entry hazards. Forretress usually sets up at least 2 layers of (Toxic) Spikes while Spinning away the foe's Rocks/Spikes.
Gyro Ball is there as a form of damage that helps beat T-Tars that try to set up D-Dance and prevent Genger from setting up Subs.

Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd/252 SAtk/6 SDef
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Shadow Ball
- Hydro Pump

Tricks its Scarf on a Pokemon that tries to set up or a wall to render it useless for the rest of the battle. Before Tricking away the Scarf, it acts as a revenge killer and a check for Gengar, Gyarados, Infernape, etc. who try to set up. It is an invaluable member of the team particularly for Gyara, because it is my only pokemon that can outspeed it at +1 and KO (with Choice Scarf).

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP/6 SAtk/252 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Earth Power
- Lava Plume
- Protect
- Roar

It acts as a Special Wall and absorbs Fire attacks aimed at Forretress in order to pump up its own. Lava Plume over Flamethrower because of the Burn chance, Protect to scout and Roar to shuffle.

Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 240 HP/54 Atk/216 Def
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Roar
- Earthquake

The Sleep Absorber of the team. It also absorbs Burns, Toxics and T-waves(immune) and Rests to heal them. It is my most common switch-in to physical Attackers as it can withstand their attacks and attack back. It can also phaze T-tar, Gyarados and Subbers if it's at full health.

Metagross @ Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 112 HP/252 Atk/14 Def/132 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch

After the foe's team is weakened and I find a chance, I switch in Metagross to set up Agility and wreak havoc. The fact that its ability prevents Intimidate is also a bonus. I just have to make sure Gyarados is KOed before I switch Meta in, or Gyara may survive Ice Punch and EQ me to death.

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And that's all about this team. I am looking forward to suggestions and constructive criticism on how I can improve it.

 

[Faladran]

I could see Stallbreaker Dragonite causing some problems for your team, so I'll make a quick suggestion. You've got Hippowdon as a great counter to Tyranitar and Metagross, so consider swapping out Swampert for a RestTalk Gyarados:

Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP/244 Def/16 Spd
Careful nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Waterfall

This will give you a good switch in to Dragonite, and an easy way to counter Lucario should Hippowdon suffer residual damage.

Good luck with your team!

 

[AB2]

Hi DDNite, nice stall based balanced team that you have yourself, but I think I have some suggestions that may help you.

Upon looking at this team your first and biggest problem is that you have no water resists. Thankfully you do have Rotom-W to revenge kill common water attacker such as Starmie and Gyarados; however I believe this still needs to be fixed. Even though you have a nice check to both Dragon Dance Gyarados and Life Orb Starmie, I can see both Substitute Dragon Dance Kingdra and Chesto Rest Kingdra ripping through your team. Forrestress is set up fodder and in late game especially it is a massive threat being able to KO everything with a few boosts with it easily obtains. LO Heatran is actually a massive threat to this team. It is able to outspeed every member on this team besides Rotom and Metagross before an Agility and OHKO or 2HKO. Rotom's Hydro Pump won't KO Heatran if it is in good condition and Hippowdon is easily 2HKOed by LO Fire Blast if not OHKOed due to the fact that it might be worn down from the lead matchup. As the rater above said, this team has quite a lot of trouble with Dragonite, nothing really is able to take it as it has so many opportunities to come in and spam Draco Meteor or hit something hard with Superpower, this is because Swampert is a rest talk set and not the standard mixpert set seen on most teams. This team has quite a lot of trouble with opposing stall teams as it is unable to break common combination like Skarmory / Blissey very easily besides the fact that most stall teams may get the opportunity to spin away your hazards as well. Life Orb Zapados with Hidden Power Grass gives this team some problems because it can literally sweep this team at any given chance. The only pokemon that stands in its way is Rotom which takes a lot from Heat Wave and has no method of recovery. Everything else is OHKOed or 2HKOed quite easily.

Problems:
Substitute Dragon Dance Kingdra / Chesto Rest Kingdra
LO Heatran
Mixed Dragonite
Standard Stall
LO Zapados

My first suggestion has nothing really to do with any of the threats stated above. I would just like to suggest that you run a Dual Spiking Roserade over Forretress. This will allow you to sustain at least one water resist which is greatly needed by this team; however you do lose your rapid spinner but the synergy that it provides is well worth it.

Roserade @ Leftovers
Calm 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD Natural Cure
Spikes | Toxic Spikes | Energy Ball | Rest

First of all this will form a Fire / Water / Grass core with Heatran and Swampert which greatly helps you in both synergy and it also gives you a very useful status absorber which is greatly appreciated on teams such as this.

Now to find a way to take care of that stall weak I suggested earlier. This can actually be very simple to fix but may cause you some problems synergy wise which I will then be able to fix later. I would recommend that you run Stallbreaker Gliscor over Swampert. Since Roserade is a status absorber on this team and you already have stealth rocks and a phazer via Hippowdon, Swampert isn't really useful anymore. Gliscor is the best stallbreaker at the moment and basically fixes your weakness to stall and it also is a nice check to HP Ice less Zapados.

Gliscor @ Leftovers
Jolly 252 HP / 252 Spe / 4 Def Sand Veil
Taunt | Toxic | Earthquake | Roost

Maximum speed is used to tie with other Gliscor's so that you have a chance or Taunting them so that they are unable to Toxic you, which does hurt Gliscor a lot. Taunt + Toxic Gliscor will allow you to easily break down Skarm / Bliss which rained on your parade before quite easily.

I have another interesting suggestion for you to try out. I noticed that you are using a specially defensive phazing Heatran set. I have used a set similar to it; however it was able to abuse entry hazards in a much more beneficial way and pose a threat to many teams if played correctly. This is why I am going to suggest that you run Substitute + Roar Heatran over Special Defensive Roar Heatran.

Heatran @ Leftovers
Calm 252 HP / 164 Spd / 92 SpD Flash Fire
Substitute | Roar | Flamethrower or Lava Plume | Earth Power

This Heatran lures in many of its checks such as Suicune and Vaporeon and can Substitute on the switch, must like Torment Tran. As they try to break the substitute or set up, you just roar them away rapidly racking up spikes damage which will easily allow you to actually sweep with this Heatran in late game.

My final suggestion for this team is that you should get a different bulky water to handle the likes of Mixed Dragonite and Bulky DD Kingdra to an extent. This will help you patch up those annoying weaknesses that I stated earlier and pull the team together as a whole. Therefore, my final suggestion is that you run Wish Vaporeon over Agility Metagross.

Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Bold 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spd Water Absorb
Wish | Protect | Surf | Ice Beam

First of all this Vaporeon will allow you to beat many threats such as Mixed Dragonite and Kingdra as I have stated previously. Wish support is a great benefit to teams like this and is much appreciated to the team members to keep your team healthy for later in the game. Ice Beam is used on this set over hidden power electric mainly because you already have Dragon Dance Gyarados checked quite easily with Scarfed Rotom on your team, so Ice Beam is much more beneficial to you. Vaporeon also gives you a water immune which is very nice since this team started off with on water resists or immunities whatsoever.

One last quick suggestion, you might want to change your Hippowdon's nature to Impish over Adamant because Adamant is fairly useless on it. Also you may want to think about running Stone Edge over Ice Fang because Ice Fang is fairly useless due to the fact that Salamence is gone now and your have Flygon and Gliscor checked quite nicely.

That is all that I have to say for now, I hope you take my suggestions into consideration, and I wish you the best of luck with your team!

 

[DDnite]

Special Sweeper Azelf causes huge problems for this team.

Timid Azelf
- Nasty Plot / Thunderbolt
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Flamethrower

This set can OHKO 4/6 of your Pokemon =/

If Rotom-W is still alive it can Shadow Ball it to KO before it attacks (that is if I still have my Choice scarf). Thanks for the indication, though.

I have another interesting suggestion for you to try out. I noticed that you are using a specially defensive phazing Heatran set. I have used a set similar to it; however it was able to abuse entry hazards in a much more beneficial way and pose a threat to many teams if played correctly. This is why I am going to suggest that you run Substitute + Roar Heatran over Special Defensive Roar Heatran.

Thanks for the suggestion! I slightly edited my Heatran (added Substitute) as it seems that this version is better.

I also realised that the Roserade fits well in the team, so I think I will swap Forretress with it.


The Rest-Talk Gyarados Faladran mentioned is also worth consideration, but if I also drop Swampert for it, then half of my team will be susceptible to Sandstorm, to the point that it won't be worth it as it will negate my Leftovers. That's where Wish-Vaporeon comes in, but then a HP Ice Zapdos can KO everything (bar Rotom-W). My question is: Should I replace my Hippowdon lead for another bulky one like Metagross and lose my electric immunity while avoiding Sandstorm damage, or should I keep Hippowdon and swap Agiligross with Vaporeon to cover my teammates?