SS OU Screens Grimmsnarl + Polteageist (Peaked #5)

[Sevan Elevan]

After testing on the beta ladder for a while I discovered that Shell Smash Polteageist is a massive late game threat given that Dyna Max stored power gives you psychic terrain meaning mons like sneak Aegi or sucker Bish are no longer able to revenge you. I decided I wanted to build a team around Polteageist with screens support and a reliable way to lure/break darks. The team I constructed managed to get me to 5th on the ladder yesterday but I feel it still has some holes which could be patched up.

proof of peak:

Polteageist @ White Herb
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shell Smash
- Shadow Ball
- Stored Power
- Strength Sap

So as mentioned above Polteageist makes for a fantastic late game cleaner if you can eliminate or chip the opponents dark type. Shell Smash giving you +2 +2 +2 which means you outspeed scarfers below base 110. Polteageist makes great use of Dynamax since the added bulk may allow it to take a hit from a mon it doesn't OHKO or Max Mindstorm can setup psychic terrain to avoid being revenged by priority. The main threats that need to be removed before Polteageist can sweep are Ditto, Rain, Dark types and fast scarfers such as Cinderace.

Grimmsnarl (M) @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Taunt
- Spirit Break

The next mon I wanted to add was another new mon and a way to support the Polteageist sweep. Grimmsnarl does a great job of this being able to set prankster screens with light clay which are super useful in general vs the current offensive meta. It also has prankster taunt which can be nice to prevent webs or spike stack. Another benefit of having Grimmsnarl is that it's one of the best Dragapult checks in my opinion, the only set I've seen that can beat it is DD dynamax steel wing so be wary around that but it's still pretty uncommon.

Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Psyshock

The third mon I wanted to add was something that could lure in mons like Ttar and break through them for Polteageist to sweep. Reuni does an excellent job of this with an offensive trick room set. Focus blast hits the darks and steels and shadow ball for opposing psychics. I decided to go with Psyshock here despite the fact Chansey is no longer in the dex since if Reuni gets terrain from Dynamax Psyshock is it best way to break through SpDef Corviknights with some prior chip. Given SpDef Corvi is probably the best check to this Reuni set I felt it was useful. Psyshock also helps against potential Calm Mind users such as clefable or hatterene. In some matchups Reuni is the better Dynamax user than Polteageist and can also function as a wincon.

Ferrothorn @ Chople Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball

Next I needed a reliable rain check and a rocker as rocks are essential for chipping and breaking the mons that wall Poltea/Reuni. Ferro does a fantastic job of filling both these roles. The chople berry allows it to check Barraskewda even in Dynamax form. A good thing to note is that leech seed vs Dynamaxed mons recovers a stupid amount of HP. Set is pretty self explanatory over all I feel.

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 212 Def / 48 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Discharge
- Will-O-Wisp

Now I needed a pivot and something that could defensively check GDarm. Even without Pain Split or Defog Rotom is a fantastic mon in the current meta being able to beat threats like Darm and Sand Drill. As always volt switch on washtom is a necessity as ground types generally fear switching in on a potential Hydro. Will-O is also really free to click vs a lot of teams as fire types don't want to switch in for the same reason. Seismitoad obviously walls this set so don't leave Rotom in vs that to Will-O and risk catching a toxic or power whip.

Cinderace @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Pyro Ball
- Gunk Shot
- Court Change

Originally the final mon I wanted to add was just a physical breaker. I toyed around with Sub BD Salac and LO 3 attacks Kommo-O in this slot for a while but I felt the team was still pretty weak to mons such as scarf GDarm. Cinderace remedies this being able to revenge GDarm and opposing Shell Smash Polteageists. It also adds some hazard removal which the team otherwise lacked, relying on Taunt Grimmsnarl. I like Cinderaces ability to U-Turn on incoming Pexs bringing in Reuni which can easily abuse them.

Importable:

Polteageist @ White Herb
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shell Smash
- Shadow Ball
- Stored Power
- Strength Sap

Grimmsnarl (M) @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Taunt
- Spirit Break

Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Psyshock

Ferrothorn @ Chople Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 212 Def / 48 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Discharge
- Will-O-Wisp

Cinderace @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Pyro Ball
- Gunk Shot
- Court Change

 

[RufflesPro]

Why strength sap on Polt instead of giga drain? It's physical defense is really weak so its not letting you live any hits really. Giga drain, on the other hand, hits dark types like Grimmersnarl while also recovering some HP which is pretty nice under screens sometimes.

Also why Discharge on Rotom-W? Unless you have a good reason for it, you can run so many things instead like RestoChesto or even nasty plot or straight up Thunder Wave.

Otherwise, good team and congrats on your peak. I really like the Reuniclus I think thats a great idea

 

[Sevan Elevan]

Why strength sap on Polt instead of giga drain? It's physical defense is really weak so its not letting you live any hits really. Giga drain, on the other hand, hits dark types like Grimmersnarl while also recovering some HP which is pretty nice under screens sometimes.

Also why Discharge on Rotom-W? Unless you have a good reason for it, you can run so many things instead like RestoChesto or even nasty plot or straight up Thunder Wave.

Otherwise, good team and congrats on your peak. I really like the Reuniclus I think thats a great idea

yeah there are definitely a lot of situations where Giga Drain would be more useful, I had strength sap so you can recover up on mons like Bisharp trying to sucker punch revenge you and then live the next sucker punch because of the attack drop. I'll probably expiriment with Giga Drain and see if it has more success though as it will help a lot vs mons like ttar.

restochesto rotom is probably a change worth making, I had discharge to help vs things like sub bulk up corviknight which is just a massive nuisance on the ladder generally but a means of recovery other than lefties would almost definitely be more useful.

thank you for the advice!

 

[Nezergy]

What does 84 Def on Ferro help it survive?

 

[Sevan Elevan]

What does 84 Def on Ferro help it survive?

+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Barraskewda Max Knuckle (95 BP) vs. 248 HP / 84+ Def Ferrothorn: 151-179 (83.8 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Dragapult Phantom Force vs. 248 HP / 84+ Def Ferrothorn: 51-60 (28.3 - 33.3%) -- Miniscule chance to 3HKO
+3 252 Atk Mold Breaker Mega Gyarados Max Airstream (130 BP) vs. 248 HP / 84+ Def Ferrothorn: 142-168 (78.8 - 93.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

also helps vs obvious other physical threats like excadrill, diggersby, dracozolt etc. and can lure fighting types.

 

[Gecko5567]

Great squad, thanks for sharing. Quick question: How do you deal with Seismitoad? Just rely on Ferrothorn?

Also, Sirfetch’d

 

[PBUH]

I had strength sap so you can recover up on mons like Bisharp trying to sucker punch revenge you and then live the next sucker punch because of the attack drop.

wouldn't strength sap raise bisharp's attack by +1 on account of defiant?

 

[Sevan Elevan]

wouldn't strength sap raise bisharp's attack by +1 on account of defiant?

oh yeah im stupid, i meant things like duggy idk why i said bish

 

[Sevan Elevan]

Great squad, thanks for sharing. Quick question: How do you deal with Seismitoad? Just rely on Ferrothorn?

Also, Sirfetch’d

thanks! toad is an issue for sure but yeah you just have to will-o it with rotom to negate lefties and then rely on ferro or breaking with reuni since it has no means of recovery and reuni can chew hits from it while not getting toxic'd.

 

[Macgg]

yeah there are definitely a lot of situations where Giga Drain would be more useful, I had strength sap so you can recover up on mons like Bisharp trying to sucker punch revenge you and then live the next sucker punch because of the attack drop. I'll probably expiriment with Giga Drain and see if it has more success though as it will help a lot vs mons like ttar.

restochesto rotom is probably a change worth making, I had discharge to help vs things like sub bulk up corviknight which is just a massive nuisance on the ladder generally but a means of recovery other than lefties would almost definitely be more useful.

thank you for the advice!

Wouldn't strength sap give Bisharp +1 attack?

 

[Daisuke Shirou]

Wouldn't strength sap give Bisharp +1 attack?

Yes

 

[Sevan Elevan]

Wouldn't strength sap give Bisharp +1 attack?

Yes

yeah I responded to that earlier, I meant things like Duggy not sure why I said Bish