SS OU Thoughts on stall team featuring Jirachi and Mienshao? (First team since gen 7)

[Geckoarcher]

I just got back into showdown; I've been having a great time. I decided to make a team in a similar vein as what I played last generation, and so far it's been working relatively well for me! (Although, I'm pretty low elo so it doesn't mean much.) I'm curious to see what people think: any obvious improvements? Are the off-meta picks worth anything or are they totally outclassed?

The team is extremely stally; the idea is to wear them down through toxic, burns, and rocks. If the game goes long then I can win through a war of attrition - but I've been having trouble with setup sweepers tearing through after just one dragon dance. Substitute can also be a big problem depending on the situation.

fish (Toxapex) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Haze
- Recover
- Toxic

Toxapex is Toxapex, it's a third of the primary core and a wall to any physical attacker that can't blast through it. Currently it's also my only answer to setup, which means it can sometimes get stretched thin. Scald has a 30% chance of removing a mon from the game and can wear down steel types (especially when combined with knock off). Toxic is great for catching switch-ins or beating any non-steel wall. Recover and haze let it beat stalls/walls and setup, respectively.

egg (Chansey) (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Seismic Toss
- Protect
- Wish

Chansey is another third of the defensive core, as a catch-all answer to special attackers. Toxic helps get that sweet sweet DoT, while seismic toss is more reliable damage. Protect + Wish is my recovery here, although I'm not sure how I feel about it. The real draw is that it lets me heal up Ferrothorn or Jirachi in a pinch, but protect is also nice because it lets me figure out what move a choice bander will lock themselves into. Then, I can switch to either Toxapex or Ferrothorn, whichever I need. (Great against Barraskewda.)

plant (Ferrothorn) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Toxic

The last part of the core, everyone knows Ferrothorn. Toxic is once again important for residual damage; leech seed is a Ferrothorn staple that can bring on even more attrition. Ferrothorn is also my only source of stealth rocks, which is kinda risky but has worked for me so far. It's rare that it doesn't get a chance to set them up. Gyro ball is STAB.

mouse (Mienshao) (F) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- U-turn

This is the weird one. Mienshao is a pivot that can maintain tempo with fake out and u-turn, and tank light special hits thanks to assault vest. On the switch, it heals back any chip damage with regenerator. Stealth rock resist is a big win for this. Knock off is great utility (especially removing leftovers or heavy duty boots), and close combat rounds the set off with some STAB. I like to use Mienshao as a lead, or to maintain tempo in the mid game. It can also stall people out by repeatedly switching with Toxapex to heal with regenerator.

little devil (Jirachi) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Zen Headbutt
- U-turn
- Trick

I really loved scarf Jirachi last gen and I've been enjoying it in this meta as well... although apparently it's dropped to UU since I last played. Jirachi helps to exert some offensive presence (which this team is otherwise lacking) and can convert momentum into solid neutral damage. If the best swap resists both stabs, u-turn can get tempo (maybe swapping into meinshao?) and spread around some chip damage. Trick can devastate opposing walls that I otherwise can't beat, or just inconvenience attackers and make them easier to stall out. And of course, serene grace can sometimes just win games on its own.

mouse 2 (Excadrill) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Poison Jab
- X-Scissor

The final team member, and one that I don't use too often. Excadrill exists to a) spin away spikes, b) revenge kill threats, and c) punch through walls. Despite all the switching, I haven't found stealth rocks to be that much of a problem for this team, since everyone except Toxapex and Chansey resist them. (And both Toxapex and Chansey have reliable ways of healing off that chip damage.) However, spikes are very threatening if they can get set up, and pokemon like Ferrothorn do that very well against this team. Thus, excadrill exists. STAB earthquake does the rest. Poison Jab and X-Scissor are kinda random, I was just wary of having a third pokemon with steel coverage. Plus, it's not like there are many fairy types that are going to switch into Excadrill anyways.

Key weaknesses that I've noticed:
- No earthquake resist. Ferrothorn is neutral, Toxapex can normally tank 1 (or maybe 2), and Mienshao might be fine depending on the source. But nothing can sit on an earthquake.
- Some sweepers can set up, kill Toxapex on the switch/before it can haze, and then outspeed Jirachi/Excadrill/Mienshao. A pokemon with earthquake and dragon dance is the scariest thing ever.
- Some reads required.

 

[Gummybean999]

One thing I notice in ur team (and u stated it), is that ur extremely weak to ground, so u may want to use a flying type like Lando-T or Corviknight.

 

[ijustdie]

Hi! I'm a new on here so I might make some mistakes but I'll try my best!
First of all: When your post said stall team with Jirachi I expected the sp.d set (wish, iron head, body slam, protect). This would make more sense for your team since you have greater stalling potential this way (tank more hits, protect for toxic damage, scout out moves), while also keeping your pokemon without recovery (ferrothorn, excadrill) healthy.
I also feel like switching Mienshao for Tornadus-T would be a good move. This will keep the same role as Mienshao as your regenerator pivot, keeping knock off and U-turn. Tornadus-T would help defensively against earthquakes too, as well as being generally bulkier and able to defog.
As for Excadrill: I would replace it entirely. As a scarfer, it doesn't have the speed tier to deal with other scarfers, nor does it handle the defensive mons in the meta particularly well. Also his rock removal services have been taken over by Tornadus-T.
What to replace excadrill: I think your team should be fine against scarfers like blacephalon and kartana, so it wouldn't make sense trying to go for a scarfer faster than them (eg. gengar). Ideally, your scarfer would be able to switch into a heatran, as its trapping + taunt set could do serious damage to your team. If you want to keep excadrill's electric immunity, you could opt for a scarf lando, which grants you the benefit of 1. not being weak to heatran, 2. gaining uturn or toxic or stone edge (choose 2), as well as knock off (mandatory). Although there are also a lot of other scarfers you can try so experiment :)

 

[Geckoarcher]

If you want to keep excadrill's electric immunity, you could opt for a scarf lando, which grants you the benefit of 1. not being weak to heatran, 2. gaining uturn or toxic or stone edge (choose 2), as well as knock off (mandatory). Although there are also a lot of other scarfers you can try so experiment :)

Lando is a great add in this slot! Thanks for the advice!

 

[SOM/05]

The Pokemon you have used are surely Out-classed In the current meta
If you want to use Stall the you can go with the classic Gen 8 stall team including - Corviknight, Gastrodon, Clefable, Toxapex, Slowking-G, Blissey

The things Your team Lacks as a Stall team are -
1)Unaware-Mons(as you mentioned being swept by setup-sweeper)
2)A good Defogger Use something with pressure+defog or 2 pokemon with Defog to out-run Stealth rock/Spikes
( Rapid spinner would work but need's Recovery moves)
3)Ability to switch into the Meta's Common Attacker like - Dragapult , Kartana , Melmetal , Weavile , Tapu Lele , E.T.C

On the above of that i don't think your team is a Stall team, It looks like a Defensive Balance team

I tried to fix your team- Stall (guess i changed it bit too much)
Changes
-Toxapex don't need Haze with Unaware Quagsire
-Blissey is Better than Chansey
-Corviknight Fits better than Ferrothorn give Ground Immunity
-Although Clefable is a better Unaware i add Quagsire for Electric Immunity
-Slowking is for Special Wall and Regenerator
- Kartana as the Main Attacker
- Can Also use Haze on Quagsire
- Future Sight+ Karatana is a great Offensive Pair

=> The plan should be to Chip down Opposing Mons with the 5 defensive Mons and then Sweep with Kartana

If you want to go Pure Stall you can use this team - Super Stall (just be ready for 100+ turn battles)

 

[Akeras]

Lando is a great add in this slot! Thanks for the advice!

If you want to do a stall team, lado isnt a good slot, because he can recover hp just with leftovers, so corviknight as ground immunity is better