In a meta infested with future Suspect Tests, there is only one thing we ask of the Smogon gods: to Deliver Us! This is a balance team that I've laddered from 1500-1700 with before hitting a losing streak. I made it with the knowledge that Fairies, outside of Magearna and the Tapus, aren't particularly present right now. With the brutal balance-breakers centralizing the metagame around offensive playstyles, having multiple priority users, two of which are Dark types, allows you to break through some of the more broken-spamming teams. So, let's get into the team and I would love some help with how I should be playing with it or optimizing it. Full import can be found here.
Barachiel (Crawdaunt) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crabhammer
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Aqua Jet
One of the prime stars of the team is Crawdaunt. Right now, particularly, Crawdaunt is an absolutely brutal Pokemon for most teams to go up against. When fighting slower teams, Knock Off and Crabhammer allow you to rip through almost anything in front of you. Crawdaunt will claim a KO when he comes in under many scenarios. When fighting offensive teams, Crawdaunt's powerful priority forces switches with its Aqua Jet, having a 100% chance of OHKOing Pheromosa and a 62.5% chance of OHKOing Landorus-I, rising to 100% after Stealth Rock. Given that the former Pokemon completely rocks the rest of the team, going for a prediction and firing off a Knock Off will bring down most offensive threats. If you believe KyuB will be coming in, a Choice Banded Close Combat OHKOs a significant water resistance.
Choice Band over Life Orb is essentially needed in the current meta, as it enables Daunt to snag off Landorus-I, Pheromosa, Heatran, and KyuB with Aqua Jets, Knock Off, and Close Combat, respectively. Furthermore, with offensive pressure being so high and Stealth Rocks probably remaining up, LO recoil+Stealth Rock damage results in Crawdaunt burning itself out far too quickly. If the meta slows down, LO could become more usable, but I've tried it and it didn't work for me right now.
Gabriel (Urshifu) (M) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wicked Blow
- Close Combat
- Sucker Punch
- U-turn
The second Dark type on the team, Urshifu provides can incredible amount of coverage that the slower Knock Off-spamming Crawdaunt doesn't get. Being capable of ignoring Landorus-T intimidation and getting over KyuB's speed tier is essential to the team's overall functionality. Black Glasses are an unusual choice for Urshifu, but to higher ladder players who can generally feel out how much damage he should be taking from Urshifu's hits, the extra 20% on a high roll can get over what a neutral hit should take and close to the lower rolls of banded. This increased damage without LO recoil allows you to bluff your choice lock in. I've caught Tyranitars, Blazikens, KyuBs, Heatrans, Magearnas, and more with an unsuspected Close Combat after bluffing being locked into Wicked Blow or Sucker Punch on many occasions. To players who calculate the damage dealt, Band bluff will not work, as Black Glasses misses Choice Band's minimum roll by several percent. Try to notice how the opponent is playing and choose to bluff or not accordingly.
U-Turn is there to provide momentum but, granted, I don't find myself using it often, either opting to preserve my Band bluff or wanting to just fire off another Wicked Blow. I can see this move being replaced if others have some good tech.
Michael (Zygarde) @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 188 HP / 216 Atk / 104 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance
- Substitute
Zygarde is arguably the most overpowered Pokemon on this team. With the third priority showing up and a potent spammable move in Thousand Arrows in Zygarde's moveset, he further allows control over offensive Pokemon by being capable of breaking down teams once the game is drawing to a close. While Zygarde's typing and bulk does allow him to absorb Fire type attacks, against which the team struggles heavily against, trying to keep it healthy enough to absorb some hits to set up one or two dragon dances or lay out some substitutes is preferable because of its power as a win condition. 188 HP EVs allow it to set up 101 HP substitutes in the face of Blissey, which is rising in usage against the likes of Naganadel and Landos-I. 104 speed outruns max speed Magearna by 1. All remaining EVs are put into Attack to give Zygarde more sweeping power with Thousand Arrows and more cleanup power with Extreme Speed.
Raphael (Clefable) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Wish
- Protect
The splashable pink blob. It rocks, it counters monsters like Glare/Coil Zygarde, and it wish passes to the rest of the team that lacks reliable recovery. Given the lack of Ground resistance on the team, Zygarde is an otherwise game-ending threat without Clefable being present. Unfortunately it isn't a total counter to KyuB thanks to its genenuinely absurd Bulk and its Teravolt Ability, but it still forces it to stop Dragon Dancing while also being capable of switching in. Wish/Protect lets you scout for choiced Pokemons' locked-in moves, such as a Banded/Scarfed Genesect.
Uriel (Zapdos) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Defog
- Roost
Forming up the defensive line of the team and provided a much-needed Ground immunity, Zapdos is present to help round out the defensive core of the team, defeat what the final team member cannot, and punish the plethora of Pokemon that want to recklessly click U-Turn with Static. If Static or Discharge nab a paralysis, the chances are that Crawdaunt can easily break it now. Zapdos is the only form of hazard control present on the team and as such must be played close to your chest to prevent it from getting put on a Toxic timer or being quickly broken by other moves on the sets of the Ground types it answers, such as Sludge Wave from Landorus-I. Heat Wave provides the Fire type coverage needed to break Ferrothorn, Melmetal, and Genesect, although the latter is usually dealt with by the offensive threats of the team.
Selaphiel (Aegislash) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Toxic
- Substitute
- King's Shield
Being a Steel type that isn't setup fodder for Blaziken is an asset right now. Although Blaziken can be dealt with by Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet, being able to King's Shield Blaziken into a more managable state or Shadow Ball for 68-80% damage on the Swords Dance enables it to be dealt with by Zygarde's Extreme Speed on its Flare Blitz turn. Sub/Toxic enables Aegis to put the bulkier Pokemon that answer its Shadow Ball on a timer. This timer is extremely important for Pokemon that could be a game-ending threat, as well, as it forces them into an attacking move within the 8 PP of Sucker Punch on Urshifu and thus eliminating the threat with very powerful priority. Aegislash answers most forms of Genesect and Pheromosa, as well as providing a non-Sludge Wave weak resistance to Naganadel's Draco Meteor. Genesect can be a threat to it if it predicts with a Flamethrower or a Blaze Kick from the Scarfed or Banded sets, respectively, but given how much people love to gain momentum with U-Turn, losing Aegis to this is a rare occurance.
Team Breakdown
Barachiel (Crawdaunt) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crabhammer
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Aqua Jet
One of the prime stars of the team is Crawdaunt. Right now, particularly, Crawdaunt is an absolutely brutal Pokemon for most teams to go up against. When fighting slower teams, Knock Off and Crabhammer allow you to rip through almost anything in front of you. Crawdaunt will claim a KO when he comes in under many scenarios. When fighting offensive teams, Crawdaunt's powerful priority forces switches with its Aqua Jet, having a 100% chance of OHKOing Pheromosa and a 62.5% chance of OHKOing Landorus-I, rising to 100% after Stealth Rock. Given that the former Pokemon completely rocks the rest of the team, going for a prediction and firing off a Knock Off will bring down most offensive threats. If you believe KyuB will be coming in, a Choice Banded Close Combat OHKOs a significant water resistance.
Choice Band over Life Orb is essentially needed in the current meta, as it enables Daunt to snag off Landorus-I, Pheromosa, Heatran, and KyuB with Aqua Jets, Knock Off, and Close Combat, respectively. Furthermore, with offensive pressure being so high and Stealth Rocks probably remaining up, LO recoil+Stealth Rock damage results in Crawdaunt burning itself out far too quickly. If the meta slows down, LO could become more usable, but I've tried it and it didn't work for me right now.
Gabriel (Urshifu) (M) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wicked Blow
- Close Combat
- Sucker Punch
- U-turn
The second Dark type on the team, Urshifu provides can incredible amount of coverage that the slower Knock Off-spamming Crawdaunt doesn't get. Being capable of ignoring Landorus-T intimidation and getting over KyuB's speed tier is essential to the team's overall functionality. Black Glasses are an unusual choice for Urshifu, but to higher ladder players who can generally feel out how much damage he should be taking from Urshifu's hits, the extra 20% on a high roll can get over what a neutral hit should take and close to the lower rolls of banded. This increased damage without LO recoil allows you to bluff your choice lock in. I've caught Tyranitars, Blazikens, KyuBs, Heatrans, Magearnas, and more with an unsuspected Close Combat after bluffing being locked into Wicked Blow or Sucker Punch on many occasions. To players who calculate the damage dealt, Band bluff will not work, as Black Glasses misses Choice Band's minimum roll by several percent. Try to notice how the opponent is playing and choose to bluff or not accordingly.
U-Turn is there to provide momentum but, granted, I don't find myself using it often, either opting to preserve my Band bluff or wanting to just fire off another Wicked Blow. I can see this move being replaced if others have some good tech.
Michael (Zygarde) @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 188 HP / 216 Atk / 104 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance
- Substitute
Zygarde is arguably the most overpowered Pokemon on this team. With the third priority showing up and a potent spammable move in Thousand Arrows in Zygarde's moveset, he further allows control over offensive Pokemon by being capable of breaking down teams once the game is drawing to a close. While Zygarde's typing and bulk does allow him to absorb Fire type attacks, against which the team struggles heavily against, trying to keep it healthy enough to absorb some hits to set up one or two dragon dances or lay out some substitutes is preferable because of its power as a win condition. 188 HP EVs allow it to set up 101 HP substitutes in the face of Blissey, which is rising in usage against the likes of Naganadel and Landos-I. 104 speed outruns max speed Magearna by 1. All remaining EVs are put into Attack to give Zygarde more sweeping power with Thousand Arrows and more cleanup power with Extreme Speed.
Raphael (Clefable) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Wish
- Protect
The splashable pink blob. It rocks, it counters monsters like Glare/Coil Zygarde, and it wish passes to the rest of the team that lacks reliable recovery. Given the lack of Ground resistance on the team, Zygarde is an otherwise game-ending threat without Clefable being present. Unfortunately it isn't a total counter to KyuB thanks to its genenuinely absurd Bulk and its Teravolt Ability, but it still forces it to stop Dragon Dancing while also being capable of switching in. Wish/Protect lets you scout for choiced Pokemons' locked-in moves, such as a Banded/Scarfed Genesect.
Uriel (Zapdos) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Defog
- Roost
Forming up the defensive line of the team and provided a much-needed Ground immunity, Zapdos is present to help round out the defensive core of the team, defeat what the final team member cannot, and punish the plethora of Pokemon that want to recklessly click U-Turn with Static. If Static or Discharge nab a paralysis, the chances are that Crawdaunt can easily break it now. Zapdos is the only form of hazard control present on the team and as such must be played close to your chest to prevent it from getting put on a Toxic timer or being quickly broken by other moves on the sets of the Ground types it answers, such as Sludge Wave from Landorus-I. Heat Wave provides the Fire type coverage needed to break Ferrothorn, Melmetal, and Genesect, although the latter is usually dealt with by the offensive threats of the team.
Selaphiel (Aegislash) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Toxic
- Substitute
- King's Shield
Being a Steel type that isn't setup fodder for Blaziken is an asset right now. Although Blaziken can be dealt with by Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet, being able to King's Shield Blaziken into a more managable state or Shadow Ball for 68-80% damage on the Swords Dance enables it to be dealt with by Zygarde's Extreme Speed on its Flare Blitz turn. Sub/Toxic enables Aegis to put the bulkier Pokemon that answer its Shadow Ball on a timer. This timer is extremely important for Pokemon that could be a game-ending threat, as well, as it forces them into an attacking move within the 8 PP of Sucker Punch on Urshifu and thus eliminating the threat with very powerful priority. Aegislash answers most forms of Genesect and Pheromosa, as well as providing a non-Sludge Wave weak resistance to Naganadel's Draco Meteor. Genesect can be a threat to it if it predicts with a Flamethrower or a Blaze Kick from the Scarfed or Banded sets, respectively, but given how much people love to gain momentum with U-Turn, losing Aegis to this is a rare occurance.
Threats and Matchups
Very Weak Matchups- Landorus-Incarnate: Despite having a Ground immunity and multiple priority users threatening it, Landorus-Incarnate essentially forces a sack whenever it comes in. When against a losing matchup, playing aggressively is essential; you can't afford to play safe or you'll lose. When you bring in Crawdaunt to threaten out the Landorus with Aqua Jet, use Knock Off to snag a KO or massive damage and item removal on the incoming Pokemon. Do this as many times as possible to swing the odds back into your favor. It is unlikely the opponent will risk you truly going for Aqua Jet given how significantly the team loses to it. After claiming a KO with Knock Off, sack a Pokemon to Landorus only to bring Crawdaunt straight back out and locking it back into Knock Off.Here is an example of this strategy in action.
- Grimmsnarl: Unlike Regieleki, Grimmsnarl is a screen setter that can take hits and threaten my breakers with Spirit Break, all the while controlling clearing them with Taunt. Screens offense is brutal against this team because of the close-cutting nature of Aqua Jet and Sucker Punch knockouts. With no reliable way to bring down offensive threats, the team breaks under the pressure. Playing proactively against a screen team using Grimmsnarl is essential to having any chance.
- Bug/Grass + Heatran Defensive Cores: Cores composes of Buzzwole, Rillaboom, Tangrowth, or Tapu Bulu alongside Heatran are incredibly difficult to break through. Heatran is faster than Crawdaunt in almost all cases, which means that threatening it means either taking a Magma Storm/Earth Power, which can only be done once, or coming in after a friendly teammate gets KO'd. It is similarly difficult to get in Urshifu, although Urshifu does do notable damage to Rillaboom and AV sets of Tangrowth. However it still costs a lot to get in, with rocks being kept up, Toxics being spread, and high damaging moves being thrown out constantly. 60-80 turn games against these cores are not uncommon and it usually ends up not working out for you.
- Swampert: The Toxic-using Electric-immune Water type. It comes in on Aegislash and forces it out, either setting up rocks against my one immunity, Toxicing it (or Clefable), and then gaining momentum. It can be whittled down over time, but it can give the opponent a debilitating amount of momentum very securely. Lacking any Grass type coverage or extremely strong special move gives it numerous free switch ins.
- Naganadel: While Naganadel isn't an immediate win condition for the opponent, it is difficult to deal with and will require sacrifice to defeat. A Shadow Ball from Aegislash brings Naganadel into Sucker Punch range, as does Extreme Speed from Zygarde, but doing that will get them both knocked out. Naganadel is a threat to the team like few other sweepers are and, if it is kept healthy into the endgame, can threaten the game as a win condition.
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