ORAS OU Mega Lopunny Sand Offense by ABR & High Impulse

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Mega Lopunny Sand Offense by ABR & High Impulse





Introduction
Welcome to the latest RMT Staff Archive team, by ABR and High Impulse! This team was first used during the early stages of the second OLT, and proceeded to attain good success for quite a while after it was introduced. This team features Mega Lopunny, a fast monster with perfect neutral coverage between its STAB moves. In addition, it also sports a Tyranitar and Excadrill sand core, which is commonly seen in ORAS OU, in part because the duo can perfectly control the entry hazard game. The rest of the team is dedicated to pivoting into Mega Lopunny's checks and breaking up bulky cores that trouble Mega Lopunny. Overall this team is a great and successful representation of an OU sand offense, and as such will make a great addition to our archive.

Team Members



Lopunny (F) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Return
- Quick Attack / Toxic

Main Role:
Mega Lopunny provides the team with a fast cleaner that is capable of pressuring most offense teams with ease. Through use of the Fake Out and Quick Attack, it can also act as an effective revenge killer. With its Speed tier Mega Lopunny provides a massive constriction to offensive teams, and its effectiveness was one of the reasons that bulky grounds such as defensive Landorus-T and TankChomp became popular.

Specific Traits:
Scrappy allows Mega Lopunny to hit Ghost-types hard, especially Mega Sableye. Mega Lopunny's typing, while not outstanding defensively, does have some use, particularly as a Knock Off switch-in. From a defensive standpoint Mega Lopunny also has some use, particularly checking dangerous Dark-types such as Bisharp and Weavile.
Moves and EVs:
Return and High Jump Kick provide a pair of high-powered STAB moves that also provide perfect neutral coverage. Fake Out allows Mega Lopunny to Mega Evolve safely and take full advantage of its post-Mega Evolution Speed tier. Quick Attack allows Mega Lopunny to pick off weakened targets. The combination of Fake Out and Quick Attack is especially effective, as it allows Mega Lopunny to revenge kill threats without as much prior damage as if it only carried either Fake Out or Quick Attack. Max Speed and Attack investment allows Mega Lopunny to hit as hard and fast as possible. Variants can use Adamant over Jolly, which takes advantage of the double priority to make up for the Speed loss. However, an Adamant nature gets outsped by some important targets that Jolly doesn't, such as Tornadus-T and Weavile. Toxic can be used over Quick Attack to help wear down common Mega Lopunny checks.


Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Main Role:
Rotom-W is the physical pivot for the team that was added to help against threats for Mega Lopunny, such as Talonflame and Sand Rush Excadrill. It also gives the team momentum with Volt Switch, enabling the other members, such as Mega Lopunny, an easy way of switching in safely.

Specific Traits:
Rotom-W's typing alongside Levitate allows it to handle Flying- and Ground-types simultaneously. Being able to resist both of those types and having Hydro Pump is what really makes Rotom-W suited for handling Talonflame and Excadrill with much ease. Hydro Pump also helps against Ground-types that try to stop Volt Switch and enables Rotom-W to win the matchup against them. Thanks to its Speed tier and bulk, Rotom-Wcan take an Aqua Jet from +6 Azumarill and proceed to cripple it with a burn or deal massive damage with Volt Switch. It will outspeed any other attack chosen by Azumarill.

Moves and EVs:
Max Defense investment allows Rotom-W to take physical hits as well as possible, and no Speed investment enables it to have the slower Volt Switch when facing an opposing Rotom-W with speed investment. Will-O-Wisp can cripple physical threats and also wear down Grass-types that switch into Rotom-W like Serperior and Amoonguss. 0 Attack IVs minimizes Foul Play damage from Mega Sableye and Mandibuzz. Pain Split helps Rotom-W maintain itself through the course of a battle so it can continue to do its job.



Tyranitar (M) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpA
Brave Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Ice Beam
- Pursuit

Main Role:
Tyranitar sets up sand so that Sand Rush Excadrill can come into play. Its defensive prowess combined with the Chople Berry allows it to take on key threats to the team such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Latios, Latias, and Kyurem-B, and acts as a patch to some key weakness that can be exploited by certain Pokémon.

Specific Traits:
Tyranitar's Rock typing combined with its ability, Sand Stream, gives it a Special Defense boost while the sand turns last. This allows it to complement Rotom-W and Amoonguss as they mutually struggle against some Pokémon such as Kyurem-B, Latios, and Latias, which Tyranitar takes on with ease. Tyranitar also acts as the teams main Stealth Rock user.

Moves and EVs:
Max HP investment allows Tyranitar to take hits from the aforementioned threats to the team. Max Attack investment aims to overwhelm checks to Excadrill such as Landorus-T. Ice Beam lures in bulky Ground-types like Hippowdon, Garchomp, and Landorus-T so that Excadrill and Mega Lopunny have easier times achieving a sweep. Pursuit easily removes Latios and Latias, as well as dealing heavy damage to the likes of Tornadus-T, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Alakazam. Other variants of the team can use a more defensive support set, with a 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 SDef spread with a Relaxed nature, which allows Tyranitar to take on the likes of Mega Charizard X better.



Excadrill (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin

Main Role:
Excadrill provides the role of a secondary sweeper under sand, as well as entry hazard removal. Excadrill shares checks with Mega Lopunny as well, such as Landorus-T, and they wear down those shared checks with their powerful attacks.

Specific Traits:
Sand Rush allows Excadrill to outspeed virtually the entire metagame under sand. It is also valuable to the team, as Rapid Spin is the team's only means of entry hazard removal. Swords Dance gives the team a nice late-game sweeper as well.
Moves and EVs:
Earthquake and Iron Head provide solid overall coverage. Rapid Spin provides the standard necessary entry hazard removal. Swords Dance turns Excadrill into a terrifying sweeper, with or without sand present. Most Excadrill are either 3 attacks + Rapid Spin or 3 attacks + Swords Dance. Seeing both on the same set gives up some coverage against threats such as Talonflame, but gives Excadrill more utility overall. Air Balloon adds an additional Ground immunity, and while the power loss from Life Orb is notable in some cases, Swords Dance helps alleviate the power loss and makes Air Balloon the better choice. EVs and nature are standard for the most part, outside of a Jolly nature which allows Excadrill to outspeed other Excadrill under sand, as well as outspeed some extra targets such as max Speed Heatran and Kyurem-B with a neutral Speed nature.


Tornadus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Taunt
- Hurricane
- Knock Off
- U-turn / Superpower

Main Role:
The team overall struggles to pressure stall teams, and that's where Tornadus-T comes in. Tornadus-T is a fantastic stallbreaker, being able to come in and apply pressure very easily and U-turn out, generating momentum and helping Mega Lopunny and Excadrill switch in more easily.

Specific Traits:
Tornadus-T's access to Regenerator along with Taunt, Knock Off, and a very high-powered Hurricane make it one of the best stallbreakers in the tier. It can prevent the likes of Skarmory from setting up Spikes and remove items with Knock Off, making opposing stall teams much easier to break as the likes of Skarmory will lose their Leftovers, making it much harder to switch into Mega Lopunny and Excadrill. It also means Chansey can be pressured more easily as it no longer has its incredible bulk after it loses its Eviolite, making it easier for Tornadus-T to break.
Moves and EVs:
Maximum Speed investment allows Tornadus-T to outspeed key threats such as Starmie, Alakazam, and Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and maximum Special Attack investment along with Life Orb makes Tornadus-T hit as hard as possible. A Hasty nature is used over a Naive nature to make it slightly easier to switch into the likes of Keldeo at the cost of being weaker to common priority moves. Taunt can prevent the opposing Pokemon from hitting Tornadus-T with Thunder Wave or Toxic, which makes Tornadus-T extremely difficult to reliably beat. Hurricane is Tornadus-T's most powerful STAB move and deals huge damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Knock Off removes items from the likes of Chansey, Heatran, and Skarmory, which makes it much easier to wear them down, and U-turn allows Mega Lopunny and Excadrill to get in safely, also forming a VoltTurn core with Rotom-W. Superpower is another option to hit targets such as Tyranitar and Heatran hard.



Amoonguss (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Giga Drain
- Clear Smog
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Spore

Main Role:
The team's archetype is such that it will naturally struggle against Water-types like Keldeo and Azumarill. Amoonguss is a great answer to these threats and acts as a fantastic pivot for the team. It rose in popularity as a pivot around the time this team was created, due to the staying power and longevity it possesses.
Specific Traits:
Amoonguss's Poison / Grass typing combined with its natural physical and special bulk allow it to take on numerous threats to the team, particularly offensive Water-types. Access to Regenerator and utility moves such as Spore make it an asset to the team. It is also a strong Breloom check, which was hyped as big threat to Mega Lopunny and Excadrill at the time.
Moves and EVs:
Max Defense and HP EVs ensure Amoonguss's longevity against physically oriented threats is sustained. 12 Speed EVs allow Amoonguss to speed creep threats like Calm Mind Slowbro so that it can reset stat boosts with Clear Smog. Hidden Power Fire KOes lured Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Mega Scizor. Clear Smog prevents setup sweepers from boosting against Amoonguss. Spore creates momentum, and creates huge pressure against teams that lack a Grass-type or Magic Bouncer. Giga Drain provides some extra recovery. Amoonguss can also use more balanced defensive spreads that invest more in Special Defense, for example 248 HP / 168 Def / 92 SpD with a Bold nature, which avoids the 2HKO from Choice Specs Keldeo's Icy Wind.​

Threatlist

offensive Mega Scizor sort of just runs through the build; sets up on Mega Lopunny, Tyranitar, forced switches etc., and proceeds to sweep the team with Stealth Rock up / if the team is whittled down by late-game, which it most likely is.

Swords Dance Garchomp (which also has various sets) annoys the team quite a bit, abuses some passive Pokemon and pressures the team, even if it's not a setup variant.

Power-up Punch Mega Lopunny can be a bitch to deal with even with max Defense Amoonguss if it gets pressured through Stealth Rock, your own sand, or kept low throughout the match.

Bulky wincon in Calm Mind Slowbro / Mega Slowbro, main ways of pressuring it on the team are defensive answers that don't exert much offensive pressure (although Amoonguss is running a solid amount of Speed and Rotom-W just Volt Switches out or uses Will-O-Wisp).

Calm Mind Mega Alakazam; albeit inconsistent / unreliable at times with Focus Blast, it's definitely a menace to the build. Main way of managing it is really Chople Berry Tyranitar, pressuring it to not Mega Evolve with Excadrill, which it finds an opportunity to do so on multiple other Pokemon, and Fake Out from Mega Lopunny which isn't reliable. even non-Calm Mind Mega Alakazam can be threatening.

Swords Dance Lum Berry (or any other item for that matter) Bisharp annoys the team through its priority alone, but it can potentially exploit a member of the team. keeping Mega Lopunny healthy enough is typically fine though.

Just pressure this Pokemon enough to the point where it can't pressure your own team; i.e limit its opportunities to switch in; otherwise can be pretty troublesome through its priority.

Fairly obviou. Mega Medicham finds a free Mega Evolution on Tyranitar, Rotom-W, and Amoonguss (main backbone of the build too) and proceeds to net a free KO. Good news is that the offensive threats of the build help in managing it, but even then Mega Medicham is often paired with a sturdy backbone that can deal with Excadrill, Tornadus-T (to a degree), and Mega Lopunny.

Definitely not expected to have a guaranteed switch, Mega Heracross is dealt with on this team through minimal counterplay. Especially considering bulky variants are being ran in this metagame, it's extremely hard to revenge kill or pick off with this team, relying on Life Orb Tornadus-T, which is quite shaky.

Mega Metagross exploits multiple members of the team to break free and there are simply no guaranteed switch-ins. Despite this, it can be revenge killed by sand Excadrill and Mega Lopunny, depending on how low it is.

Mega Sableye builds in general are extremely hard to pressure due to the fact that it just Knocks Off or cripples everything with Will-O-Wisp, really only having Mega Lopunny and Life Orb Tornadus-T to pressure it somewhat.

Rotom-W cripples the entire team with Will-O-Wisp while gaining momentum on most members to take advantage of the build's main pivot into Water-types, Amoonguss.

Importable

Lopunny-Mega (F) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Return
- Quick Attack / Toxic

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Tyranitar (M) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpA
Brave Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Ice Beam
- Pursuit

Excadrill (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin

Tornadus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Taunt
- Hurricane
- Knock Off
- U-Turn / Superpower

Amoonguss (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Giga Drain
- Clear Smog
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Spore

Credits

Created by: ABR & High Impulse
Written by: celticpride, Team Pokepals, Analytic, p2 & Nedor
Grammar checked by: GatoDelFuego
Art by: Lax
 

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