Hello people of Smogon, this team is based on weakening the opponents pokemon in order to succesfully sweep with Deoxys-A. It was rather succesful, breaking into the top 100 before the ladder reset. Now that my star pokemon is banned, I would like to retire it, and possiblly make improvements on it.
I realized that in this metagame filled with fast, frail and powerful sweepers that I needed priority. 2 of the major issues were Darkrai and Doryuuzu. Technician Mach punch was needed, but alas, Techniloom was not yet released, so I went with it's gen 4 priority spamming counterpart, Hitmontop.
I present you with the team with 30 limbs, Team Tentacles!
Tentacles!@ Life orb
Nature: Naive
Pressure
EV's: 4Atk/252Sp.atk/252Spe
Moveset:
~Phycho Boost
~Superpower
~Ice Beam
~Extremespeed
I usually lead with Deoxys unless I see a Scizor on the opponents team (bullet punch+pursuit=agony). Phycho Boost kills so many things it isn't even funny (okay, yes it is.) Combine that with superpower, and I have a reliable way of OHKOing T-Tar, Hippo, and non specially bulky DrizzleToed. Combine this with my Tentacruel's secret weapon, and I can dismantle weather teams. Ice beam is for killing every single dragon type in OU. (and Gliscor.) Extremespeed provides me with neccesary priority, as to not be completely helpless against priority users. Usually used for a cheap kill in the beginning and sweeps in the end. Doesn't see much use in between except for revenge kills.
Dreidel @ Life orb/Leftovers?
Adamant Nature
Technician
Ev's: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Spe
Moveset:
~Mach Punch
~Fake out
~Sucker Punch
~Stone Edge
In a metagame filled with Doryuuzu and Darkrai, only Technitop coud kill them by not giving a danm about their speed and killing with fake out + mach punch. Technitop also kills weakened pokes and can deal 40% to Nattorei with Mach Punch. Sucker punch is for Lati@s who try to Draco Meteor me, dealing a hefty chunk to both. Stone Edge really doesn't see much use, however it's slightly useful in dealing with Burungeru. Life Orb racks up damage, however it also racks it back at Hitmontop. Life Orb and Sandstorm damage means that It's time on the field is limited. Leftovers would relieve this problem, but gives me significantly weaker attacks in return. Thoughts?
Jet @ Choice Specs
Timid Nature
Levitate
EV's 4Hp/252SpA/252Spe
Moveset:
~Trick
~Draco Meteor
~Hidden Power (Fire)
~Surf
Draco Meteor Spam is so much fun with Latios. Seriously, unless the switch-in is Blissey, Chansey, Snorlax, Bronzong, or Nattorei, it will rape them in the face. To deal with these counters, all Latios has to do is sacrifice it's choice specs with Trick. HP Fire gives me a back up option to the dangerous Nattorei and the extremely threatening Scizor. Oh yeah, I guess it kills Forretress too, but then again so does surf... Speaking of Surf, it allows me to nail Heatran which can otherwise wall this set into oblilvion.
Tentacles! @ Leftovers
Sassy Nature
Iron Barbs
Ev's: 252 HP/196 SpD/60 Def (0 Speed IV)
Moveset:
~Spikes
~Leech Seed
~Power Whip
~Gyro Ball
Nattorei sets up entry hazards, is really hard to kill bar fire attacks, and is a major THORN in my opponent's side. (Bad joke is Bad) I find that Spikes are more useful for my team than stealth rocks, since they hit anyone who isn't immune for a guaranteed 25% damage. Leech Seed is for recovery purposes, which Nattorei notably lacks otherwise. Power Whip is a solid move that makes good use of It's base 95 attack. Gyro Ball is my weapon against pokemon who are to fast for their own good (like Deoxys-A and Latios). A really essential pokemon for my team, as it also is a decent counter to Kingdra and friends. I don't say he conquers rain dance because of Magnezone and my Tentacruel's secret weapon.
MightyDuck @ Evolution Stone
Bold Nature
Trace
Ev's: 252 HP/136 Def/72 SpD/48 Spe
Moveset:
~T-bolt
~Ice beam
~Toxic
~Recover
Porygon2 has defensive stats comparable to Lugia when holding the Evolution Stone. It has a decent defensive typing and it has a reliable instant recovery move. I couldn't think of a reason not to have it on my team. It has a great base 105 Special Attack stat, allowing it to switch in and kill threats like Gyrados and Salamence. Boltbeam provides bolt-beam level coverage, hitting a crap ton of pokemon for SE/Neutral damage. Only Resisted by Lanturn coverage is amazing for offensive purposes. Recover gives P2 the best recovery move in the game, automatically giving it health instead of changing it's type/putting it to sleep/screwed over by weather. Toxic hurts pokemon that I have trouble with like Burungeru a lot. The bulkiest pokemon in the game is a great team-mate to the frailest pokemon in the game.
Tentacles! @ Leftovers
Calm Nature
Liquid Ooze
252 HP/220Def/20SpD/16Spe
~Toxic Spikes
~Rapid Spin
~Surf
~Hail
Tentacruel is a toxic spiking, rapid spinning, supprisingly fast pokemon with great sp.def. This is almost the standard set except for the move that was never used in any other generation, Hail. Hail is a great move against weather teams, especially ones who got their Politoed Phycho Boosted by Deoxys. Hail can single handidly destroy an entire team. Without it, Manaphy could permanately rest, Doryuuzu could outspeed everyting, and Kingdra could overpower his way to the top. Ever since I've put hail on Tentacles, I haven't looked back since.
A couple of threats:
Landlos: with sand and rock polish, it can be insanely difficult to take down.
Burungeru: Walls a fair number of my team, and unless toxic spikes are out or P2 is able to toxic it, it can be really annoying.
Note: I would like raters to reccomend ways that I could adjust this team into the 2nd round of suspect testing with the loss of Deoxys.
Team Building
I knew that I wanted to base my team around the practiclly unstopable Deoxys-A, wanting to abuse it's rediculous 180 offensive stats and amazing 150 speed to it's full potential. (+4 tentacles)
Now I knew that for Deoxys to fully decimate a team, it would need entry hazards, bulky teammates, priority, rapid spin, and a secondary wall-breaker. I decided to start with the premier wall of Gen 5, Nattorei. (+3 tentacles)
Nattorei couldn't wall everything forever though, so I needed two other poke's to cover him. I decided on the pokemon that got a humungous advantage this generation with Evo stone, P2 and one of my favorite 4th generation pokemon, Tentacruel. (+ 10 tentacles)
Now I knew that for Deoxys to fully decimate a team, it would need entry hazards, bulky teammates, priority, rapid spin, and a secondary wall-breaker. I decided to start with the premier wall of Gen 5, Nattorei. (+3 tentacles)
Nattorei couldn't wall everything forever though, so I needed two other poke's to cover him. I decided on the pokemon that got a humungous advantage this generation with Evo stone, P2 and one of my favorite 4th generation pokemon, Tentacruel. (+ 10 tentacles)
At this point I realized I needed offensive pressure. I wanted a pokemon that could spam 1 move and make it's "counters" a 3hko. Oh yeah, I also didn't want a Shaymin. I have my standards you know. Specs Latios Draco Meteor Spam was chosen FTW.
I realized that in this metagame filled with fast, frail and powerful sweepers that I needed priority. 2 of the major issues were Darkrai and Doryuuzu. Technician Mach punch was needed, but alas, Techniloom was not yet released, so I went with it's gen 4 priority spamming counterpart, Hitmontop.
I present you with the team with 30 limbs, Team Tentacles!
RMT
Nature: Naive
Pressure
EV's: 4Atk/252Sp.atk/252Spe
Moveset:
~Phycho Boost
~Superpower
~Ice Beam
~Extremespeed
I usually lead with Deoxys unless I see a Scizor on the opponents team (bullet punch+pursuit=agony). Phycho Boost kills so many things it isn't even funny (okay, yes it is.) Combine that with superpower, and I have a reliable way of OHKOing T-Tar, Hippo, and non specially bulky DrizzleToed. Combine this with my Tentacruel's secret weapon, and I can dismantle weather teams. Ice beam is for killing every single dragon type in OU. (and Gliscor.) Extremespeed provides me with neccesary priority, as to not be completely helpless against priority users. Usually used for a cheap kill in the beginning and sweeps in the end. Doesn't see much use in between except for revenge kills.
Adamant Nature
Technician
Ev's: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Spe
Moveset:
~Mach Punch
~Fake out
~Sucker Punch
~Stone Edge
In a metagame filled with Doryuuzu and Darkrai, only Technitop coud kill them by not giving a danm about their speed and killing with fake out + mach punch. Technitop also kills weakened pokes and can deal 40% to Nattorei with Mach Punch. Sucker punch is for Lati@s who try to Draco Meteor me, dealing a hefty chunk to both. Stone Edge really doesn't see much use, however it's slightly useful in dealing with Burungeru. Life Orb racks up damage, however it also racks it back at Hitmontop. Life Orb and Sandstorm damage means that It's time on the field is limited. Leftovers would relieve this problem, but gives me significantly weaker attacks in return. Thoughts?
Timid Nature
Levitate
EV's 4Hp/252SpA/252Spe
Moveset:
~Trick
~Draco Meteor
~Hidden Power (Fire)
~Surf
Draco Meteor Spam is so much fun with Latios. Seriously, unless the switch-in is Blissey, Chansey, Snorlax, Bronzong, or Nattorei, it will rape them in the face. To deal with these counters, all Latios has to do is sacrifice it's choice specs with Trick. HP Fire gives me a back up option to the dangerous Nattorei and the extremely threatening Scizor. Oh yeah, I guess it kills Forretress too, but then again so does surf... Speaking of Surf, it allows me to nail Heatran which can otherwise wall this set into oblilvion.
Sassy Nature
Iron Barbs
Ev's: 252 HP/196 SpD/60 Def (0 Speed IV)
Moveset:
~Spikes
~Leech Seed
~Power Whip
~Gyro Ball
Nattorei sets up entry hazards, is really hard to kill bar fire attacks, and is a major THORN in my opponent's side. (Bad joke is Bad) I find that Spikes are more useful for my team than stealth rocks, since they hit anyone who isn't immune for a guaranteed 25% damage. Leech Seed is for recovery purposes, which Nattorei notably lacks otherwise. Power Whip is a solid move that makes good use of It's base 95 attack. Gyro Ball is my weapon against pokemon who are to fast for their own good (like Deoxys-A and Latios). A really essential pokemon for my team, as it also is a decent counter to Kingdra and friends. I don't say he conquers rain dance because of Magnezone and my Tentacruel's secret weapon.
Bold Nature
Trace
Ev's: 252 HP/136 Def/72 SpD/48 Spe
Moveset:
~T-bolt
~Ice beam
~Toxic
~Recover
Porygon2 has defensive stats comparable to Lugia when holding the Evolution Stone. It has a decent defensive typing and it has a reliable instant recovery move. I couldn't think of a reason not to have it on my team. It has a great base 105 Special Attack stat, allowing it to switch in and kill threats like Gyrados and Salamence. Boltbeam provides bolt-beam level coverage, hitting a crap ton of pokemon for SE/Neutral damage. Only Resisted by Lanturn coverage is amazing for offensive purposes. Recover gives P2 the best recovery move in the game, automatically giving it health instead of changing it's type/putting it to sleep/screwed over by weather. Toxic hurts pokemon that I have trouble with like Burungeru a lot. The bulkiest pokemon in the game is a great team-mate to the frailest pokemon in the game.
Calm Nature
Liquid Ooze
252 HP/220Def/20SpD/16Spe
~Toxic Spikes
~Rapid Spin
~Surf
~Hail
Tentacruel is a toxic spiking, rapid spinning, supprisingly fast pokemon with great sp.def. This is almost the standard set except for the move that was never used in any other generation, Hail. Hail is a great move against weather teams, especially ones who got their Politoed Phycho Boosted by Deoxys. Hail can single handidly destroy an entire team. Without it, Manaphy could permanately rest, Doryuuzu could outspeed everyting, and Kingdra could overpower his way to the top. Ever since I've put hail on Tentacles, I haven't looked back since.
A couple of threats:
Landlos: with sand and rock polish, it can be insanely difficult to take down.
Burungeru: Walls a fair number of my team, and unless toxic spikes are out or P2 is able to toxic it, it can be really annoying.
Note: I would like raters to reccomend ways that I could adjust this team into the 2nd round of suspect testing with the loss of Deoxys.
