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https://pokepast.es/4a2af976faafba38
Introduction
This was a team that I created to try to get requirements for the Archaludon suspect, but unfortunately it doesn't look like I am going to be getting them. However, the team looked so good and I did have some good streaks with it, so I thought I would share it. This team will most likely be worse if rain becomes worse when arch is banned, but for the moment it is used to heavily counter the playstyle. Each of the three grass types on the team were used to counter the most common abusers of that archetype while the rest of the team can function against the rest of the metagame while still contributing to the rain matchup. I had fun creating this and I hope that you can see the reasons for my decisions when creating this team.
The Team
Sinistcha @ Leftovers
Ability: Heatproof
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Strength Sap
- Matcha Gotcha
- Hex
First up we have sinistcha. On other teams I have lately been using sinistcha to good succes and so I thought I would start with it. However, I found that it wasn't doing a lot and was thinking of replacing it with something like waterpon until this game happened.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2053716566
Sinistcha is great against stall, as seen in this match, as it can dismantle common stall tactics. It absolutely sits on blissey and in this match I was unlucky, if I had gotten a burn earlier than the blissey would have been pressured into using soft boiled pp. Still though, sinsitcha is great into rain as it can sit on both raging bolt and barra, while recovering hp with matcha gotcha. Calm mind allows it to snowball its way into a victory, while strength sap can provide recovery but also increasing its physical bulk artifically. Matcha gotcha allows for recovery and can spread burns which again makes it very bulky. Finally, hex can take advantage of the burns from matcha gotcha while still doing great damage on unstatused foes. Tera steel allows it to avoid pesky poisons while resisting the ice and flying moves aimed at it. Overall, sinistcha can be difficult to use sometimes, but it can put in immense work in some matchups.
Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Grassy Glide
- U-turn
- Wood Hammer
- Knock Off
Rillaboom is a key component of this team, as it allows for all team members to passively recover hp, boost up the various grass type moves on teamates and give strong priority to revenge kill. Tera Grass and choice band allows for a strong move to revenge kill set up sweepers effectively, while u-turn is a good pivoting move to get in teammates for free. Wood hammer allows for a harder hit to be dealt on predicted switch ins, but can be costly to rillabooms longevity. Finally, knock off gives the team a level of progress against opposing teams that switch a lot while dealing massive damage to gholdengo. Overall, Rillaboom is a vital component of the team as it can boost up its teammates while dealing impressive damage on its own.
Hydrapple @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Dragon Pulse
- Earth Power
- Hydro Pump
The final mon of the grass core is hydrapple. While it has been used a lot on stall teams, hydrapple still has respectable offensive power and can check some of rain's biggest threats. Barraskewda can not do a lot to this mon, while raging bolt is forced to use draco meteor to meaninfully damage it. Assault vest allows hydrapple to patch up its weaker sp.Defense stat while the loss of status moves isn't the worst since grassy terrain gives passive healing. Tera steel allows hydrapple to emergency check raging bolt, kyurem and weavile by ensuring it can take a hit and fire back. Giga drain allows for hydrapple to recover even more hp while dealing respectable damage, meaning it can survive for longer. Dragon pulse is a consistent move that unlike draco meteor or fickle beam, can be spammed a lot easier due to more pp. Earth power allows hydrapple to punish any steel types that try to switch in on it such as heatran and gholdengo. Finally, Hydro Pump allows it a better matchup into Gliscor and fire types, though body press could be slotted in to punish gambit and ice types harder. Overall, hydrapple gives some much needed defensive backbone to the team and can stonewall some common rain staples.
Kyurem @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
Next up we have the standard choice specs kyurem set. This helps a lot to assure that rain teams that can somehow pressure grass types will still struggle against this team. Kyurem appreciates the rapid spin support that tusk provides, while helping counter the grass, flying and water types that threaten tusk. Draco meteor allows for kyurem to chunk down many mons as even resists while take heavy damage from it. Freeze dry allows for opposing water types to be destroyed by kyurem while still dealing impressive damage to neutral targets. Earth power allows kyurem to threaten opposing steel types that can wall its stab moves, meaning it can spam said stab moves more effectively. Finally, ice beam allows for kyurem to use a stronger ice stab if opposing water types are taken care of. Overall, this kyurem set is not too unique or special, but it does put in the work to dismantle common archetypes.
Great Tusk @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Close Combat
- Headlong Rush
- Supercell Slam
The hazard removal for this team I chose was great tusk, which was chosen over treads because while it is worse into rain, the rest of my core is good against rain and thus I thought that preparing myself against other strategies was better. HDB was chosen as my item to allow tusk to effectively get hazards off the field while not being chipped down by them, which can increase it's longevity a lot. Combine that with grassy terrain from rillaboom, and tusk can stay around for a while. The moves of rapid spin, close combat and headlong rush are standard choices, but supercell slam was an adjustment to rain. While I intially had knock off, I decided it was not necessary due to rillaboom also carrying the move. This allows me to catch off guard pelliper by OHKOing it outright, which severly limits rain's effectivness. Finally, Tera Dark is a common tera type I choose as it means that common psychic moves that target tusk are going to do no damage to it while crucially still retaining the dark resistance to avoid a countersweep by opposing gambits. Overall, Great Tusk fits quite well into this team structure and allows it to have some breathing room in the hazard littered metagame.
Kingambit @ Black Glasses
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Kowtow Cleave
Finally, we have kingambit which has clutched me wins in many losing scenarios, so nothing different. This is the simple black glasses set to maximise damage output. This allows me a secondary priority move if rillaboom somehow get ko'd by rain boosted assaults. It also helps with opposing posion, ice and flying types that can threaten the large majority of the team. This is especially relevant for Kyurem, as the rest of the team is weak to it and it can bait an earth power for one of the grass types to come in. There isn't much to be discussed here, so apologies for the shortness of this analysis, but this is just a standard black glasses set that can help a lot against a few of the weaknesses that the teamates can share.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this team was created as a countermeasure to opposing rain teams that are dominating the meta right now. It can allow for the player to counterpick these teams while still not being bad against other archetypes, and this can be vital in the volatile state of Gen 9 OU right now. I hope that if you use this team that you have success with it.
https://pokepast.es/4a2af976faafba38
Introduction
This was a team that I created to try to get requirements for the Archaludon suspect, but unfortunately it doesn't look like I am going to be getting them. However, the team looked so good and I did have some good streaks with it, so I thought I would share it. This team will most likely be worse if rain becomes worse when arch is banned, but for the moment it is used to heavily counter the playstyle. Each of the three grass types on the team were used to counter the most common abusers of that archetype while the rest of the team can function against the rest of the metagame while still contributing to the rain matchup. I had fun creating this and I hope that you can see the reasons for my decisions when creating this team.
The Team
Sinistcha @ Leftovers
Ability: Heatproof
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Strength Sap
- Matcha Gotcha
- Hex
First up we have sinistcha. On other teams I have lately been using sinistcha to good succes and so I thought I would start with it. However, I found that it wasn't doing a lot and was thinking of replacing it with something like waterpon until this game happened.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2053716566
Sinistcha is great against stall, as seen in this match, as it can dismantle common stall tactics. It absolutely sits on blissey and in this match I was unlucky, if I had gotten a burn earlier than the blissey would have been pressured into using soft boiled pp. Still though, sinsitcha is great into rain as it can sit on both raging bolt and barra, while recovering hp with matcha gotcha. Calm mind allows it to snowball its way into a victory, while strength sap can provide recovery but also increasing its physical bulk artifically. Matcha gotcha allows for recovery and can spread burns which again makes it very bulky. Finally, hex can take advantage of the burns from matcha gotcha while still doing great damage on unstatused foes. Tera steel allows it to avoid pesky poisons while resisting the ice and flying moves aimed at it. Overall, sinistcha can be difficult to use sometimes, but it can put in immense work in some matchups.
Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Grassy Glide
- U-turn
- Wood Hammer
- Knock Off
Rillaboom is a key component of this team, as it allows for all team members to passively recover hp, boost up the various grass type moves on teamates and give strong priority to revenge kill. Tera Grass and choice band allows for a strong move to revenge kill set up sweepers effectively, while u-turn is a good pivoting move to get in teammates for free. Wood hammer allows for a harder hit to be dealt on predicted switch ins, but can be costly to rillabooms longevity. Finally, knock off gives the team a level of progress against opposing teams that switch a lot while dealing massive damage to gholdengo. Overall, Rillaboom is a vital component of the team as it can boost up its teammates while dealing impressive damage on its own.
Hydrapple @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Dragon Pulse
- Earth Power
- Hydro Pump
The final mon of the grass core is hydrapple. While it has been used a lot on stall teams, hydrapple still has respectable offensive power and can check some of rain's biggest threats. Barraskewda can not do a lot to this mon, while raging bolt is forced to use draco meteor to meaninfully damage it. Assault vest allows hydrapple to patch up its weaker sp.Defense stat while the loss of status moves isn't the worst since grassy terrain gives passive healing. Tera steel allows hydrapple to emergency check raging bolt, kyurem and weavile by ensuring it can take a hit and fire back. Giga drain allows for hydrapple to recover even more hp while dealing respectable damage, meaning it can survive for longer. Dragon pulse is a consistent move that unlike draco meteor or fickle beam, can be spammed a lot easier due to more pp. Earth power allows hydrapple to punish any steel types that try to switch in on it such as heatran and gholdengo. Finally, Hydro Pump allows it a better matchup into Gliscor and fire types, though body press could be slotted in to punish gambit and ice types harder. Overall, hydrapple gives some much needed defensive backbone to the team and can stonewall some common rain staples.
Kyurem @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
Next up we have the standard choice specs kyurem set. This helps a lot to assure that rain teams that can somehow pressure grass types will still struggle against this team. Kyurem appreciates the rapid spin support that tusk provides, while helping counter the grass, flying and water types that threaten tusk. Draco meteor allows for kyurem to chunk down many mons as even resists while take heavy damage from it. Freeze dry allows for opposing water types to be destroyed by kyurem while still dealing impressive damage to neutral targets. Earth power allows kyurem to threaten opposing steel types that can wall its stab moves, meaning it can spam said stab moves more effectively. Finally, ice beam allows for kyurem to use a stronger ice stab if opposing water types are taken care of. Overall, this kyurem set is not too unique or special, but it does put in the work to dismantle common archetypes.
Great Tusk @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Close Combat
- Headlong Rush
- Supercell Slam
The hazard removal for this team I chose was great tusk, which was chosen over treads because while it is worse into rain, the rest of my core is good against rain and thus I thought that preparing myself against other strategies was better. HDB was chosen as my item to allow tusk to effectively get hazards off the field while not being chipped down by them, which can increase it's longevity a lot. Combine that with grassy terrain from rillaboom, and tusk can stay around for a while. The moves of rapid spin, close combat and headlong rush are standard choices, but supercell slam was an adjustment to rain. While I intially had knock off, I decided it was not necessary due to rillaboom also carrying the move. This allows me to catch off guard pelliper by OHKOing it outright, which severly limits rain's effectivness. Finally, Tera Dark is a common tera type I choose as it means that common psychic moves that target tusk are going to do no damage to it while crucially still retaining the dark resistance to avoid a countersweep by opposing gambits. Overall, Great Tusk fits quite well into this team structure and allows it to have some breathing room in the hazard littered metagame.
Kingambit @ Black Glasses
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Kowtow Cleave
Finally, we have kingambit which has clutched me wins in many losing scenarios, so nothing different. This is the simple black glasses set to maximise damage output. This allows me a secondary priority move if rillaboom somehow get ko'd by rain boosted assaults. It also helps with opposing posion, ice and flying types that can threaten the large majority of the team. This is especially relevant for Kyurem, as the rest of the team is weak to it and it can bait an earth power for one of the grass types to come in. There isn't much to be discussed here, so apologies for the shortness of this analysis, but this is just a standard black glasses set that can help a lot against a few of the weaknesses that the teamates can share.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this team was created as a countermeasure to opposing rain teams that are dominating the meta right now. It can allow for the player to counterpick these teams while still not being bad against other archetypes, and this can be vital in the volatile state of Gen 9 OU right now. I hope that if you use this team that you have success with it.