PREFACE
As a pretty new teambuilder, I tried to challenge myself to put together a workable team with some mons I really enjoy using. The end result is what I would consider to be a pretty decent offense team which checks many of the meta threats while still retaining a proactive gameplan.
Latias-Mega @ Latiasite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Draco Meteor
- Recover
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Defog
- U-turn
Greninja-Ash (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Ice Beam
Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 144 SpA / 8 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fleur Cannon
- Calm Mind
- Pain Split
- Thunderbolt
Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Synthesis
- Glare
- Defog
Volcarona @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Fiery Dance
- Roost
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Draco Meteor
- Recover
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Defog
- U-turn
Greninja-Ash (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Ice Beam
Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 144 SpA / 8 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fleur Cannon
- Calm Mind
- Pain Split
- Thunderbolt
Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Synthesis
- Glare
- Defog
Volcarona @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Fiery Dance
- Roost
TEAM_DEVELOPMENT
A UU player by the name of Caasi posted a teambuilding "checklist" which I have pseudo-adopted in my own building:
I've obviously made a few deviations from this list. First and most notably, I have no fighting types on my team. The fighting types in the OU tier either require a mega slot (Medicham, Lopunny, Heracross, Gallade), would leave my team pretty weak to flying types like Tornadus and Mega Pinsir (Buzzwole, Breloom), or simply require too much of the team to be built around them (Hawlucha). In the end, I feel like the threats which fighting types help eliminate can be covered by the mons I chose, and so I do not necessarily miss the coverage.
I also do not have a t-spike absorber. Instead, I opted for double defog, with one defogger immune to spikes. Double defog also gives me nice protection for Volcarona, who does not appreciate rocks. I also have not seen a lot of t-spikes on the ladder, with the only notable setters being Toxapex and Greninja, where a lot of sets I've seen have dropped them.
Finally, I do not have a setup stopper. Though this could be seen as a problem, phasers are not super common in the OU tier, and I could not find room in the team for one. I figure this can be overcome by smart and aggressive doubles and predictions to force setup mons out or kill them outright.
Overall, I am very happy with the way the team turned out.
DETAILED_ANALYSIS
Latias-Mega @ Latiasite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Draco Meteor
- Recover
- overview:
Calm Mind Mega Latias is the first Pokemon I chose for this team. I've loved Latias since its release in Gen 3, and its mega evolution is one of the mons I love shoving into teams with different sets. In this case, the Calm Mind set allows it to act as a potential stallbreaker, and its powerful dual STAB allows it to hit almost everything for big damage. It also gives us our first ground immunity on the team.
_ - in-depth analysis:
Pretty standard EV spread here. This allows Latias to be bulky while still dishing out damage with its CM boosts. Even with no special attack investment, at +1, Latias still has a 44% chance to OHKO SpDef Toxapex after rocks, for example. Draco Meteor gives us a way to hit mons which would otherwise artificially wall us, like Reuniclus (Psyshock into Draco does ~80% at neutral and OHKOs at +1).
_ - alternative options:
This set is notably walled by steel types, so you could run HP Fire > Calm Mind in order to prevent them switching in on you. Another option is BoltBeam with one STAB move and Recover, giving up the stallbreaking power of Calm Mind for better coverage.
☆ 彡
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Defog
- U-turn
- overview:
Pretty standard scarf Landorus set. Landorus does what Landorus does - gives us an electric and ground immunity, speed control, and big damage with STAB Earthquake. This also acts as our rocker and, notably, our first defogger. While Lando doesn't give me quite the same nostalgia trip as Latias does, I still have some fond memories of it, and its hard to deny how good it is on almost any OU squad.
_ - in-depth analysis:
Again, this is a pretty standard set for Landorus. Max speed allows us to creep any Landorus only trying to be faster than Mega Alakazam, and max attack lets us get the most out of our Earthquakes. As mentioned in the preface, hazard control is very important for our Volcarona, so I've chosen to run Defog on my Landorus.
_ - alternative options:
You could definitely run HP Ice or Stone Edge over Defog. However, this would require some shuffling around of sets, probably putting Defog on Latias. However, this allows Landorus to catch mons which might otherwise be a threat to the team (Zygarde, opposing Landorus, Pinsir, Volcarona).
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Ice Beam
- overview:
Greninja is another mon which is near and dear to my heart. I even play Greninja in Sm4sh (though much like my Pokemon skills, my Smash game could use some work). Ash Greninja also gives us our water and dark type on the team, and acts as a great wallbreaker.
_ - in-depth analysis:
The EV spread is pretty standard, giving us maximum damage without losing a ton of important speed tiers. The choice of Ice Beam on the set lets it have a decent move to click against potential switchins like Tapu Bulu and Ferrothorn.
_ - alternative options:
The choice of Ice Beam, however, also leaves Gren weak to other potential switchins like AV Magearna or, God forbid, Toxapex. Spikes would be another option here, allowing you to set hazards on what would otherwise be a "wasted" turn/forced prediction.
Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 144 SpA / 8 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fleur Cannon
- Calm Mind
- Pain Split
- Thunderbolt
- overview:
This Magearna set is a one-man-army against stall. Pain Split allows it to set up infinitely on Chansey, Twinkle Tackle deals a boatload of damage to whatever's gonna take it, and once it's boosted up, no Pokemon wants to be faced with the task of breaking or tanking Magearna.
_ - in-depth analysis
248 HP and 104 Defense allows Magearna to always live scarf Landorus's Earthquake and more often than not live banded Zygarde's Thousand Arrows. 4 Speed lets us creep min speed Magearna as well as slow (<124 speed EVs) Mawile sets. With this EV spread and Pain Split, assuming you Calm Mind on the switch, you should also be able to 1v1 scarf Magnezone.
_ - alternative options:
This set has a very specific purpose, and so I don't know how I'd change it, other than perhaps selecting a different coverage move than Thunderbolt, such as Focus Blast, Ice Beam, Flash Cannon, or HP Fire. I've found that 144 SpA is a good damage point for Magearna, allowing it to 2HKO Toxapex at +1 after rocks. 180 Defense EVs would allow Magearna to always live banded Zygarde's Thousand Arrows, though this comes at a severe cut to your damage.
Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Synthesis
- Glare
- Defog
- overview:
Serperior acts as our secondary Defogger on the team, as well as our status setter and additionall stallbreaker. Serp is also deceptively fat, allowing it to check Greninja very effectively with max HP investment. Glare also lets us threaten mons which would otherwise come in for free on Leaf Storm, like Heatran or Tapu Bulu.
_ - in-depth analysis:
Fat Serp is a pokemon which I feel a lot of people don't explore in lieu of more offensive sets, like choice scarf or offensive SubSeed. With max HP investment, modest specs Greninja's Hydro Pump does less than 50% to us, and we have enough bulk to live one Magma Storm from non-invested Heatran (though why you would put yourself in a situation where you have to take a Magma Storm with your Serperior, I have no idea).
_ - alternative options:
I wouldn't judge you for running one of the more offensive sets I've mentioned above instead of this one. However, trying to fit Defog on those sets gives Serp really bad Fifth Move Syndrome, giving us just that little bit less hazard control which we so desperately want for Volcarona.
Volcarona @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Fiery Dance
- Roost
- overview:
Finally, to round out the team, we have Volcarona. Another mon whose fat version has been eschewed for its more offensive counterparts, Volcarona is one of my favorite setup sweepers in the tier. It hits incredibly hard, even with no investment, and its amazing ability in Flame Body makes it a great soft check to pokemon like Mega Scizor and Kartana. This is our last wallbreaker/stallbreaker and a giant threat once it's gotten a Quiver Dance off.
_ - in-depth analysis:
I'm personally a big fan of Fiery Dance > Fire Blast, since we're not risking a miss (and believe me, I have E rank luck when it comes to this stuff) and have a 50/50 shot at getting even more special attack boosts. 136 Speed EVs give us just enough speed to outrun Timid Mega Alakazam at +1. Roost lets it better set up against its soft checks and gives Volc some longevity which the more offensive sets lack.
_ - alternative options:
While people generally run Buginium Z on Volcarona, I personally like the utility Fairium Z on Magearna gives us in the stall matchup. However, you could definitely swap the Z move over to Volcarona and put a different item like Leftovers on Magearna. Psychium Z is another option which allows Volcarona to beat Toxapex, OHKOing it from full at +1 and almost always KOing it at neutral after a Bug Buzz. However, this is a very niche set geared at beating exactly one pokemon which we have several answers for.
POSTFACE
That's the team. Let me know what your thoughts are on the squad. I hope that my explanations were helpful and I didn't make any gross oversights on my sets. I'd also like to give a shoutout and thank you to cooper on the RMT discord for some very helpful suggestions for tweaking the team. Happy laddering!
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