Marigold
formerly KuraiTenshi26
If one were to look through my first few rmt's compared to now... shudders.
This team, and notably its centerpiece, will always hold a place in my heart... and that's because this is the first team I have ever used to reach top 50 with on the non-suspect ladder. What's more, I did it with my favourite flying pokemon, the BL-cursed Staraptor! Let's just get into it.
The Team
Staraptor (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Double-Edge
- U-turn
- Final Gambit / Close Combat
The Dark Angel Pokemon itself. Staraptor's Brave Bird is the bane of many offensive teams once the flying resist goes down. Double Edge lets it hit electric types that would resist its other STAB (and can OHKO koko after rocks!), U-Turn provides momentum. The last move is a tossup, with Close Combat threatening rock and steel types such as Heatran and Tyranitar, or Final Gambit letting you take out something in a pinch and preserving momentum.
Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 140 HP / 192 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Standard AV Magnezone, providing a check to threats like Lele. Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Fire target the steel types that Magnezone is known for trapping. Volt switch lets it damage steel types while not being a momentum sap, and flash cannon is a secondary STAB for things like ground types.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
The almighty OU king himself, defensive Lando-t is trusted with blanket checking half of the metagame, providing trusty old Sneaky Pebbles, gaining momentum with a U-turn, and weakening opposing Lando-t and other ground types for my plethora of physical attackers to run through.
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Water Shuriken
- Dark Pulse
- Spikes
A fantastic and highly splashable offensive wincon, spikes Ash Greninja works well with defensive Lando-t to hazard stack and destroy tanks with specs-boosted STABS, or frail offensive teams with incredibly powerful priority in Water Shuriken. He also forms a dark spam wallbreaker/sweeper core with...
Mawile-Mega (F) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
Mawile, an incredible wallbreaker in OU. She fits incredibly well with Staraptor, forcing opposing defensive Lando to lose half its hp from a Play Rough, and fail to stop Staraptor anymore. Its powerful Knock Off forces Skarmory to become prone to Zone's trapping. SD + Sucker Punch also threatens offensive teams.
Tapu Bulu @ Grassium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Wood Hammer
Grassium Z Tapu Bulu is a great wallbreaker that appreciates Zone's ability to remove double grass resists. In exchange, it removes answers to Greninja's water STABs through Swords Dancing and blowing through threats like AV Tangrowth with a Z-Wood Hammer. It also improves the rain matchup a ton. Superpower is used to hit Heatran and be a second way to remove steel types aside from relying on Magnezone.
Some considerations I've made for this team are making Lando-T a sash lead and turning the team into Hyper Offense, and I've also considered making Bulu Rockium Z to alleviate the fire type issue this team has. Your input on any and all changes is greatly appreciated :]
Staraptor (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Double-Edge
- U-turn
- Final Gambit
Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 140 HP / 192 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Water Shuriken
- Dark Pulse
- Spikes
Mawile-Mega (F) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
Tapu Bulu @ Grassium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Wood Hammer
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Double-Edge
- U-turn
- Final Gambit
Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 140 HP / 192 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Water Shuriken
- Dark Pulse
- Spikes
Mawile-Mega (F) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
Tapu Bulu @ Grassium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Wood Hammer
This first competitive year has been quite a wild journey. Here's a big thank you to all the good people of my university's draft league, you guys really drove me to improve my battling and teambuilding skills <3
Shoutouts to the good folk of NJNP's discord for never believing in the digimon I build around, you guys are my metagame newspaper and good friends toorank me up plz
You top players may not know me [yet ;) ], but I can't possibly list all the cool top ladder and tour players that really made me want to push my way to at least the top of the ladder.
A very special shoutouts to Ktutverde for unknowingly inspiring me since I entered competitive mons with his really cool teams, and telling me something that will stick with me for as long as I'm in this weird but wonderful community :)
Shoutouts to the good folk of NJNP's discord for never believing in the digimon I build around, you guys are my metagame newspaper and good friends too
You top players may not know me [yet ;) ], but I can't possibly list all the cool top ladder and tour players that really made me want to push my way to at least the top of the ladder.
A very special shoutouts to Ktutverde for unknowingly inspiring me since I entered competitive mons with his really cool teams, and telling me something that will stick with me for as long as I'm in this weird but wonderful community :)
"You can build pretty much everything in OU, the real tier with no limits to creativity!"
Until next time~
The Dark Angel