Hello, Smogon! Welcome to my latest RMT! After the HUGE success of my last RMT, a collaboration with Gary2346, I decided to try using some of the stuff I learned from it to try and make yet another great team.
So, this team in particular is a Balanced team based around Jirachi. Sub CM Jirachi, to be exact. In the past, I used to use Jirachi on pretty much all my teams, usually as the Specially Defensive set. While it was always a star player on the field, it was never the focus of any of my teams. After sitting out of Dark Miracle, I thought it was high time I gave Jirachi a starring role on my next team. So for this, I wanted to try and test out the viability of SubCM Jirachi outside of Rain, where it's usually found exclusively. I also wanted to make this team less "offensive" than the last team, instead focusing a little more on being able to handle just about any threat that's thrown at the team. I don't know for sure whether or not I achieved that goal, but I think I came close. With your help, perhaps I can reach it!
So without further ado, let's get into the RMT!
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As I stated in the introduction, I wanted to base this team off of SubCM Jirachi. So it was logically the first member of the team.
So what does SubCM Jirachi do, and what stops it from doing it? It sweeps teams by using it's solid bulk and Calm Mind to become virtually invincible, all the while boosting it's Special Attack. The main problem is Ground types. Earthquake hits through Jirachi's more vulnerable defense, and Grounds are typically physically bulky, making Psyshock very weak. So to answer these Ground-type nuisances, I picked Life Orb Latias to switch into their quakes and blast them with Surfs, as well as breaking down walls for Jirachi to sweep.
So I wanted to make this team capable of handling all sorts of threats, including weather. Latias already does great against both weathers, so I wanted to add a defensive core that could handle them as well. Heatran and Jellicent sprang to mind as two pokemon who work fantastically against Sun and Rain, respectively.
At this point, I unfortunately only had Special Attackers. That, and none of them could really break through Bulky Waters to well, which could be costly. To remedy this, I decided to add Breloom to the team for it's devastating firepower and Spore, which my team loves.
So the teams looking pretty good at the moment. But I didn't really have a revenge killer, and certain threats like Mamoswine could be a potential pain. Choice Band Scizor was added to help check faster threats and that annoying Mamoswine.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Spd / 80 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Psyshock
The star of the team.... literally. Puns aside, despite usually being found on rain teams, this thing functions great outside of them as well. Jirachi is capable of ripping teams apart that lack strong physical attackers or had them removed earlier on in the battle. Once it starts accumulating boosts it's exceedingly difficult to stop it from destroying everything.
The set here is pretty standard. Calm Mind and Substitute form the crux of the set, protecting Jirachi from dangerous status conditions and critical hits, while allowing Jirachi to boosts it's offenses and defenses at once. As the boosts accumulate, it's substitutes become even more difficult to break through, and even the strongest special attacks won't be able to muscle through. Tunderbolt and Psyshock are here to provide the best neutral coverage and gives Jirachi pseudo-mixed capabilities. Thunderbolt is great for all the Water types present in OU, and thanks to Serene Grace it has a chance of crippling whatever it hits with paralysis. Psyshock is Jirachi's main STAB move, which hits incredibly hard after some boosts and helps Jirachi out against Special walls or opposing Calm Minders.
Jirachi's job on the team is to basically prey on an opening provided and use it to set up it's sweep to wreck the opposing team. Once it's counters are removed (Ground Types), it's exceedingly easy to boost up to a point where Jirachi is untouchable. I've had a lot of games where people surrendered once Jirachi got going. It's that good.
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Latias @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 104 HP / 152 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Psyshock
- Roost
In the past, I've always used Latios over his little sister, Latias. Now that I'm finally trying her out, I can honestly say that she performs amazingly. Her huge special bulk, coupled with her solid typing, makes her ideal for fighting against weather teams, and is a perfect fit for this team. On top of that, she's incredibly fast and despite being very bulky, she still hits like a truck.
The moveset here is pretty standard. Draco Meteor is an astoundingly powerful attack, but is a bit weaker compared to say Hydreigon's, so it needs to be used carefully. Surf is a great move to have on Latias since it easily dispatches Ground types and Heatrans, something this team really appreciates. Psyshock is another STAB move for Latias to use, and lets her reliably check fighting types that tend to give teams trouble, like Breloom, Keldeo and Terrakion. Roost is there to make Latias that much more difficult to take down, and lets her fill her role as a Tank.
Latias' job on the team is to be an amazing tank, actually walling certain threats and retaliating with powerful blows. She's an incredibly anti-meta pokemon, and does a fantastic job at checking multiple threats at once for the team.
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Heatran @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 56 HP / 200 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Roar
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stealth Rock
Heatran joins the team as a fantastic counter to Sun teams. On previous teams, I had a bad tendency to be weak to Sun teams, especially threats like Venusaur, Volcarona, and Victini. (Has anyone ever noticed that arguably the best Sun abusers all have names starting with V?) When I was building this team, I wanted to make sure I had those weaknesses covered quickly. Heatran does so wonderfully.
Heatran's moveset is a standard Offensive set. Fire Blast is the obvious STAB move of death and destruction. Against Sun teams this thing has such insane power.... Roar takes the place of Earth Power to make Heatran a more reliable counter to Volcarana, as well as a stop to set up sweepers in general. HP Ice makes Heatran a good check to Dragon types in general, and gives it a weapon against Ground types that it and Jirachi loath. Speaking of Ground types, Heatran typically has the advantage over them thanks to Air Balloon, which when intact lets it switch into powerful Earthquakes and threaten with Hidden Power Ice. Stealth Rocks is self explanatory. Seriously, do I need to discuss this?
Heatran's main purpose on the team is to check dangerous Sun teams, as well as being a powerful tank capable of opening holes in teams and walling certain threats. Together with Latias they can shut down a good portion of threats on Sun teams and turn them into ashes.
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Jellicent @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 36 Def / 136 SDef / 88 Spd
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Taunt
- Toxic
- Recover
Ahh, Jellicent, how I love you so very much. This thing is just so insanely bulky, it drives people crazy. Seriously. Jellicent typically takes around 38% or so from a Sp.Def Rotom-W's Volt Switch. A ton of people think that a Volt Switch is all they need to take on Bulky Waters, and don't pack anything stronger. I have actually faced teams that surrendered after just a few turns because they couldn't break through Jellicent. It's THAT GOOD.
So the moveset here is standard for most Jellicent. Scald is that really annoying move that sets everything on fire constantly. It works great as a buffer against physical attackers. Tuant is a priceless utility that shuts down walls and attempts at set up. Toxic takes the place of Will-O-Wisp since the team appreciates the poison over burn, which helps prevent walls and set up sweepers from ruining my day. Scald has a good chance to burn on it's own anyway. Recover is obvious; it heals Jellicent and makes it extremely frustrating to take down. I also think that the odd EVs should have some explanation; they're designed to give Jellicent solid overall bulk, emphasizing in special defense, while giving it enough speed to outpace slower walls like Skarmory and Taunt them before they cause damage.
Jellicent's main job on the team is to serve as a Specially defensive wall, and to just counter threats in general. Thanks to Water Absorb, it also does well against Rain teams, absorbing Hydro Pumps and Scalds and forcing switches. It's astounding walling capabilities are greatly appreciated by the team, and the number of forfeits it causes more than merits it's spot.
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Breloom @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Seed Bomb
- Focus Punch
- Spore
Oh, pardon me. Did I forget to mention that this isn't a Technician Breloom? Oh well. I'm sure you're wondering "Why the heck isn't this guy running Technician Breloom? It's so much better!" Well, the answer to that is, while Technician Breloom is indeed very powerful, it was a bit too offensive for me. Lack of recovery and Life Orb recoil wore down on it quick, and it had a bad tendency to die to quickly. THIS set, on the other hand, has super-regenerating qualities that I think are more suitable.
So this set in particular is a SubPunch set. With it's ability to force out switches because of the threat of Spore, it's very easy for it to get up a Substitute. Once that happens and Toxic Orb activates, the opponent has to deal with both a free Spore and a free Focus Punch to the face. Substitute is obviously the main draw of the set, protecting Breloom so that it can get off free attacks. Seed Bomb is a powerful STAB that swiftly deals with all those Water types found on Rain teams. Focus Punch is just devastatingly powerful, doing a huge amount to even resists, meaning if they lack recovery they run the risk of being KO'd. Spore is another key point of the set; once Breloom is safely behind a Sub, people can't just sack their least valuable pokemon to Spore; they have to go to their counter to take out the Sub, giving Breloom the chance to Spore them.
The reason Breloom is here on the team is to serve as a powerful physical presence and a dangerous crippler on the side. The massive damage output it has, coupled with it's great survivability thanks to Poison Heal, makes it a solid member on the team.
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Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- U-turn
- Pursuit
So here's the final member of the team; Scizor. This thing has been number one on the usage stats for so long for a reason; it's good at what it does. Scizor is here to serve as extra physical muscle as well as the teams revenge killer, thanks to it's powerful Bullet Punch.
Scizor here is the standard Choice Band set, actually the only Choiced pokemon on the team, which gives me some flexibility while playing. Bullet Punch is the infamous priority move revenges anything that doesn't resist it. Superpower is for when Scizor needs to break through a Steel type, or catch one on the switch. U-Turn lets Scizor grab momentum for the team and gives a free switch into a teammate. Pursuit is handy for trapping Psychics like Lati@s and the like.
Again, Scizor's role on the team is to revenge kill dangerous threats like Salamence, Terrakion and Mamoswine. While not the MVP of the team by any means, he provides valuable backup support for the team and keeps them safe during emergency situations.
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Well, there isn't a whole lot more to say here. I've had a lot of fun using this team, especially since it causes so many rage quits. : ) So, I hope that you all with give some nice rates and hopefully make this team even better! If you have any ideas that would make this team better, don't hesitate to leave a rate.
Oh, and Luvdisc if you like!