SV OU SPECS Iron Valiant ft Double Sweeper Triple Priority [Peaked 2057 ELO #9]

Vorulito

formerly PedroGreg
is a Top Tiering Contributor
Hello readers! It's been a long time since my last visit here, because I admit that I didn't like SV much. However, with the launch of Pokémon Home, I had an interest on playing again. After many attempts to make a team, I've finally managed to make one that gave me satisfactory results on the ladder, and being a lot of fun in general. Without further ado, let me introduce the team.

I really like dealing tons of damage and even more so with this new mechanic that can be used to benefit that. So I thought of something very interesting:

Choice Specs Iron Valiant To Open The Team

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With the boost of Specs + Tera Fairy, your damage ends up becoming brutal, and if your opponent doesn't have big threats like:slowking-galar::amoonguss::toxapex: :heatran::Clodsire:or:Corviknight:totally healthy, consider the game practically won. :Clodsire::toxapex:and:amoonguss:can be really crippled on a wrong switch vs Psyshock as shown below:

252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Valiant Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Clodsire: 370-436 (79.9 - 94.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Valiant Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Toxapex: 172-204 (56.7 - 67.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Valiant Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Amoonguss: 244-288 (56.4 - 66.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

The reason for not using Booster Energy on it is because the effect is not as immediate as Choice Specs, and of course, it can only be used one time in the game. Note that I'm not saying that Specs is better than Booster Energy because of it, they just have different proposals how to use Iron Valiant, which is one of the best mons currently in the tier, but, in this case, it was the one that pleased me the most.

Some examples of what it is capable of doing against some of the biggest walls in the meta:
252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fairy Iron Valiant Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 320-378 (83.3 - 98.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fairy Iron Valiant Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 116 SpD Garganacl: 282-334 (69.8 - 82.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Now imagine its damage potential in neutral Pokémon that don't resist Fairy. In fact, Iron Valiant has the potential to end a game with just by clicking one button, even more with the help of its high base Speed.

The rest of the moveset looks like this:
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-I chose Shadow Ball mainly vs more defensively:Gholdengo:and:slowking-galar: if you want to weaken it as much as possible or guarantee the kill with two Shadow Balls if it is already relatively weakened. Not to mention the possible drops that can come with it if you consider yourself a lucky person. XD

-Aura Sphere because it's a STAB move, although Thunderbolt is not a bad idea due to:Corviknight:, but I think it ensures the kill on dangerous Pokémon like:Kingambit:if your opponent has already used their Tera, weakens two very annoying opponents like:garganacl:and:cinderace:without needing to use your Tera, which is of excellent help, and of course vs :Blissey: and :Heatran: since it's a classic Fairy wall. Although Close Combat has more damage than Aura Sphere vs :Heatran:, the difference is low, but vs :Blissey: the dmg difference is high. but for having the drawback of using a nature that will cost you your Sp. Def and If you rather dont have drops on Def and Sp. Def the decision it's your choice.
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The King Sweeper For Complement
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If I haven't convinced you that Specs:Iron Valiant:is a good fit, then let me try again because of the exceptional synergy it has with:Kingambit:. As I've mentioned earlier, one of the ways to wall it is with:Slowking-Galar:, which usually switch in on it without any problems. However, this exchange can be punished with an aggressive play where you put:Kingambit:on the field at the same time it switch in, since the only thing they can do is leave again. It means something very important because it gives you a Swords Dance for free.

It's no secret that Kingambit is one of the most powerful Pokémon/sweepers on the tier thanks to Sucker Punch + Tera making it extremely difficult to deal with. If we take a brief look at its base stats, it's already noticeable that they are not so easy to take down, even more with the help of Tera, especially with the Tera Flying which I consider to be its great key point.

Super common threats like:Great Tusk::Sneasler::Iron Valiant:and Fighting/Ground mons in general are neutralized by it after Tera, being allowed to win against what would naturally beat it with ease. In more extreme cases, even set up SD in front of:great tusk:more passively and without coverage to simply win the game with Sucker Punch.

Kingambit can set up extremely easy, and because it's relatively bulky your opponent should never play wrong against it nor give it opportunities to sweep, which is not a simple task. Some negative highlights that I can mention are:

Encore is very common on:Scream Tail:, being also present on:Dragonite::Iron Valiant:, Unaware from:Dondozo: and:Skeledirge:, and:zamazenta:that even with Tera Flying you end up losing in 1v1.

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Regarding the moveset, I think I've already made a point of mentioning how good Sucker Punch + SD is for him. However, the big question is between choosing Low Kick or Iron Head. When not choosing Low Kick, keep in mind that your:Kingambit:is much more vulnerable to other:Kingambit:, making you have to use your Tera very well and still depends on it not having good stages from its excellent ability, otherwise you also tend to lose in 1v1.

I particularly prefer to choose Iron Head despite everything because it's STAB move, and is a better form of immediate damage if you have little opportunities to use SD during the game, especially if you need to win against:Iron Valiant:after using Tera Flying if necessary.
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The Dragon For MORE Damage

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I loved the design of this dragon, but I like what it's able to do even more. I really like dealing damage and using priority moves, so it was an excellent choice here! In reality, this team went through several versions until I've reached this one, and this dragon was the last Pokémon I chose for the final product. But make no mistake, that definitely doesn't make it have little sense on this team, at least from my view, because ever since I put it on the team the gang took off on the ladder.

First of all let me introduce your base stats and your moveset. With its incredible 145 base Atk + Glaive Rush added with Tera Dragon :Baxcalibur: becomes a monster with few switches. With the help of SD he does absurd things like:

OHKO vs:Zapdos:+2 252 Atk Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 104 Def Zapdos: 578-680 (150.5 - 177%) -- guaranteed OHKO
OHKO vs:Moltres:+2 252 Atk Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 248 HP / 252 Def Moltres: 480-566 (125.3 - 147.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
OHKO vs:Garganacl: after Stealth Rock +2 252 Atk Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 140+ Def Garganacl: 368-434 (91 - 107.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Does tons of damage vs :Great Tusk: Max Def +2 252 Atk Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk: 338-398 (77.8 - 91.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Against stall, Baxcalibur is a monster. See the calcs below vs Unaware users after Tera Dragon:

vs:Dondozo: +2 252 Atk Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Unaware Dondozo: 186-220 (36.9 - 43.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
vs:Skeledirge: +2 252 Atk Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Unaware Skeledirge: 284-336 (69 - 81.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO // +2 252 Atk Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Unaware Skeledirge: 204-242 (49.6 - 58.8%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO

There are two big problems for Baxcalibur vs stall in general, being :dondozo: with Avalanche and :ditto:, which can copy your SD and punishing you with a possible Ice Shard. Therefore, a certain caution especially with Dondozo must be taken. In fact, I put so much emphasis on Bax's damage potential, especially against stall where it's put to the test because it was the key to be able to deal with this kind of playstyle. Previously the rest of my team couldn't offer anything in matchups against stall. Now at least with this entry, a well-played game with Bax can lead me to victory.

Now let's explain the rest of the set since Baxcalibur doesn't live only on damage and STAB Dragon.

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I chose Ice Shard because it's undeniably a move that becomes very strong with the help of SD, unlike the Dragon Dance set, allowing you to weaken or revenge kill any Pokémon that is faster than the rest of your team if necessary. I've decided that I needed to sacrifice an Ice STAB move like Icicle Crash since Steel-types end up being extremely annoying and unpleasant to face without EQ, with very common examples like:heatran: :gholdengo:and:kingambit:(with your opponent revealing the Tera early). It is a fact that:corviknight:becomes something it will no longer kill, but I still consider these threats greater and more problematic than it.
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The Fast Rabbit For Pivot

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To close the offensive part of my team, I chose one of my favorite Pokémon that never disappoints me. Although it is visibly weaker due to Protean's nerf, Cinderace is a fast Pokémon that gives life to teams, and I usually say that because it's the one who will dictate the rhythm of the game. I don't like the WoW/Court Change set, which is apparently the only one that currently exists. I think it's rubbish and blasphemous to use on it, as it loses all its offensive potential and what it can't kill it can just pivot out with U-turn (I'm just kidding here ROFL, as this set is pretty good, but come on, I'll explain the set I chose to use).

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:cinderace:is one of the best AoA in the game in my opinion. Pyro Ball is an excellent Fire STAB, HJK serves to catch:Heatran: and:Garganacl:during the switch while being able to beat:Kingambit:if you have used Sucker Punch previously, since Pyro Ball won't be able to defeat it. Speaking of Sucker Punch, this move is simply incredible: you can beat:Dragapult:as long as it has Choice Specs or even force a 50/50 to give Substitute in order to break :samurott-hisui:'s Focus Sash, and prevent it from killing you later with priority Sucker Punch. You still have the fact that you will have double Sucker Punch on your team, which allows you to always have an extra form of speed control.

Although Iron Valiant and Cinderace are not slow, you don't have something like Dragapult or something to deal with Scarf users or buffs in Speed or even Trick Room in general. It can be said that Cinderace is the Pokémon with the lowest offensive potential of the quartet, but it also is without a doubt the one with the greatest utility thanks to U-turn and an excellent moveset. Using Gunk Shot in place of HJK is another option, however I don't think it's necessary because:enamorus:has very bad bulk and:iron valiant:is on the team, and would that be the best reason it can be stopped by the pair of walls that I will present below and solved some serious problems on my team so far.

NOTE: although I can count on my fingers the number of times I've used Tera Fire with Cinderace, I think it's better than any other because there are a few decent switches to Pyro Ball after Tera. In more unusual situations where the game is ending and you need an additional damage to guarantee an OHKO, Cinderace ends up benefiting you a lot thanks to its high Speed. However, it's always good to remember that once you use Tera with it, you no longer have access to its incredible ability.
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It's not Great Tusk, but that's ok :) (Great Tusk Can't Pivot, Deal With It Haters)
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Landorus-T finally had its downfall in usage after several years at the top due to the arrival of Great Tusk. However, my focus is not on Great Tusk, but on how Landorus-T still is good and fits well on my team. Obviously I chose to invest on Sp. Def instead of Def, otherwise it would make even less sense. With a good Sp. Def, Landorus-T plays a similar role to what it did previously. Thanks to Intimidate, it gets pretty bulky on both sides, making it a very safe option for setting up Stealth Rock and pivoting.

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Its high 145 base Atk gives EQ considerable damage against anything that isn't bulky or doesn't have a resistance or an immunity. For me, the big difference in this gen is how Grass Knot became a good move on it, allowing it to do a very high damage against:great tusk:, and wins on a 1v1 if they doesn't have Ice Spinner. Mixed:Garchomp:, although rare, is another mon that:landorus-therian:can switch into Stealth Rock without the slightest of problem, since Draco Meteor doesn't deal relevant damage to it (252+ SpA Life Orb Garchomp Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Landorus-Therian: 199-235 (52 - 61.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO).

Some Pokémon that tend to punish a lot of wrong entries like:volcanion:/:walking wake: (the latter especially under sun) can easily be stopped by Landorus-T thanks to Tera Water, and in special vs sun matches using Tera Water on Landorus-T becomes a huge help. Another great use of Landorus-T is to deal with teams that have Ghost spam, such as Specs:dragapult:and offensive:gholdengo:, once Kingambit is weakened or unable to risk switching into Focus Blast / Flamethower.

In general, Landorus-T will always be a good Pokémon. Regardless of having:great tusk: or not, it will continue to fulfill its role of setting up Stealth Rock and safely pivoting.
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The Metal Crow For Defog
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Since:zapdos:and:tornadus-therian:lost Defog, there are few decent options available for hazard control, so I had to opt for a Pokémon that I've never liked to use. However, I must say that in SV I am really impressed with it, because it supplied my needs very well, and in some games it ends up being a Pokémon that saves me from imminent defeat. Corviknight has an excellent typing that makes it resist Fairy-type moves from:enamorus:if it doesn't have Mystical Fire and beats:Iron Valiant:most of the time for being extremely bulky.

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The biggest contradiction in the set is Brave Bird > Body Press, because if you choose Brave Bird you become extremely vulnerable against:Kingambit:setting up Swords Dance for free. On the other hand, you get excellent benefits like defeating:Sneasler::Dragonite::Hawlucha:, and being able to hit:dragapult:and:Enamorus:after Sub. Brave Bird for me is a safer option that doesn't let you down as Body Press even though it's considered a very good move most of the time. Defog and Roost don't need comments, and U-turn with a Relaxed nature + 0 EVs in Speed allows for slow pivot opportunities.

I consider Rocky Helmet the best item by far, not only for the additional damage particularly on :Dragonite:, which is a dangerous sweeper, but also because it punishes other U-turn users like:landorus-therian:and:corviknight:, as well as mixing very well with double Sucker Punch core + Ice Shard from :baxcalibur:. Rocky Helmet can also be used to deal with:Iron Valiant:after Swords Dance, as it is guaranteed to OHKO with Brave Bird and eliminates a potential sweeper.

Now regarding the Tera type, I chose Ghost because I believe it's an excellent option vs HO in general due to:sneasler: :iron valiant: :hawlucha: being common threats and strong against it after a SD, and mainly to play against :zamazenta:, which is one of the biggest threats against this team. If it doesn't have Crunch, it's possible to defeat it thanks to Pressure.
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Conclusion

In general it's a very aggressive team with a lot of mobility, just the way I like to play on the ladder. However, I felt that in this gen it's of paramount importance to have sweepers on this tier, so I've learned the hard way that, as much as Specs :Iron Valiant: was my inspiration to build this team, it ends up being extremely dependant on MUs and it was by noticing that I've decided to put Pokémon like :Kingambit: and :Baxcalibur: as a complement, which often end up performing even better than him.

Well... the team doesn't have great walls and safe ways to stop sweepers, so playing turns wrongly, like allowing:great tusk: to set up Bulk Ups + Rapid Spins, :dragonite: having a more efficient way of touching the crow, and :zamazenta: who can beat this team with certain ease, ends up making my life very difficult. As I've mentioned in the Baxcalibur section, it was the last Pokémon chosen because previously the team suffered a lot against stall, although it has improved a lot facing specific sets like Avalanche:dondozo: that they only make the game end.

Even with a lot of cons, the team has a lot of pros and is very functional on the ladder. You will rarely be under pressure with it, and there will be several ways to set up and let:Iron Valiant:enter on the field. This was just my first team that made any sense to me in SV since I didn't play in a while ever since its inception, and I believe it's a very good team and mostly nice to play with.
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Proof of the peak and Thanks
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Special thanks to Repu for help me in translate this rmt


Thank you so much to those who have read this far! I'll be leaving the pokepaste for anyone who wants to test it. I'm open for constructive criticism and suggestions.
 
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awyp

'Alexa play Ladyfingers by Herb Alpert'
is a Forum Moderatoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnus
Hey, thank you for posting this team. I'm a big fan of Iron Valiant (Choice Specs).

I personally would try to go with Trick on Valiant to just have better matchups against some stall / walls. The difficulty is picking which move to drop. I think just based on threats and where the meta is at (Psyshock would probably be the move to drop for Trick), though I understand if you don't want to it's just a light suggestion because the set already works well.

Also run 8 Speed EVs (on Gambit) to outspeed other (slow) Kingambits (with either no speed investments or 4 EVs investments) is also a minor suggestion.


Lovely presentation and congrats on peaking!
 
An FSight user could be helpful as the most common ones (slowking+glowking) can also provide a defense boost to Bax and slow pivoting options. Great team!!
 
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Who would you switch glowking in for?
I was thinking maybe Landorus, but then you lose Intimidate + Stealth Rock, but you also have FSight to force some progress and slow chilly reception. I think that it's just a suggestion and PedroGreg has achieved much glory (and elo) with this team and they can replace who they want or opt not to replace anyone if they so choose.
 

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