Featured OU RMT
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Introduction
Welcome to my RMT. I originally built this team for use in Smogon Tournament #8, but also used it in a few other tournaments. I am now extremely comfortable with this team and it has maintained a 90%+ win rate (100% in official tournaments) by beating several well known and successful players. Before I go any further, I would like to thank Giant Enemy Crab and Kevin Garrett for their respective help in the aesthetics and proofreading of this team. I hope you enjoy reading about my team.
Hawaiian Air is designed to limit the opponent's opportunities to set up. Despite this aim being rather hard in Black and White, it is still a valid team base. You may notice that this follows through into the strength and coverage of the team. I should also point out that five of every six moves on this team is an attacking move, increasing coverage and limiting the opponent's options. The pace is very high, shown by the fact that five of my six Pokémon also have maximum Speed EVs, with four of those five Pokémon also having a Speed boosting nature. The team also has only one move that has less than perfect accuracy, which helps prevent "luck".
On this team, I have two priority moves, two Explosion users, two users that abuse different types of weather, two U-turners, one trapper, and a Multiscale abuser. This gives me plenty of options, and means that I almost never have a totally disadvantageous matchup.
In Depth
Azelf @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Ice Punch
- U-turn
Azelf is my Stealth Rock user, and also one of two Exploders. Explosion from 349 Attack is definitely no joke, especially when boosted by Life Orb. Ice Punch is mostly to help against Dragonite and the Latis, but it also turns Azelf into an efficient revenge killer against Virizion and non-Scarf Landorus. U-turn helps build momentum and lets Magnezone with an easy route to trap Steel-types, who often try to wall Azelf.
Azelf can be played in several ways. It can be used sacrificially to get up Stealth Rock as soon as possible or alternatively it can be used as a quick pivot with U-turn. It is easy to feign a threatening move such as Psychic or Flamethrower with Azelf, which can force a switch and help me gain momentum. Azelf also has a very useful Ground-type immunity, which can help against Landorus.
Dragonite @ Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Outrage
- ExtremeSpeed
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
Dragonite is mostly used to check powerful threats that could threaten me in the beginning of the match, where Multiscale almost guarantees that he will get a chance to attack. Against bulkier and slower teams, I will often save Dragonite so that I can fire off a few Outrages against a slightly weakened team, which can really put me in control of the battle. ExtremeSpeed is a great priority move that can finish off weakened Pokémon, and means that Dragonite is almost always worth saving, even if he has barely any HP. The upgrade to stage two priority is a further boost to ExtremeSpeed, beating Ice Shard to the punch. Earthquake is mostly for Heatran and Jirachi, whereas Dragon Claw is a useful scouting move if I don't want to lock myself into Outrage.
Dragonite holds the only Choice item on the team. This is justifiable because Dragonite's Banded Outrage is generally strong enough to stop things from setting up. It is also important as it gives a big kick to ExtremeSpeed's power.
Magnezone @ Leftovers
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Fire
- Substitute
- Charge Beam
Taking less than neutral damage from 13 of the 17 types makes Magnezone one mega pivot and also a fabulous check to several Choice users. Magnezone really is a great Pokémon, even without Magnet Pull. The ability to trap Steels is just an added bonus that makes this team click. Removing Skarmory allows my physical Ground-types to run riot, taking out Scizor reduces the risk of being revenge killed, and the fall of Ferrothorn will cause Kingdra weep with joy.
Maximum Speed paired with Hidden Power Fire help Magnezone beat non-Jolly Scizor, which is important in case of a fast Swords Dance set. Jirachi needs just 16 Speed EVs to outspeed Magnezone and Body Slam, which doesn't happen frequently because defensive Jirachi tend to use nothing in terms of Speed. This allows Magnezone to Substitute and start using Charge Beam. The additional Speed is also handy when facing slow Rotom-W.
Landorus @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpD)
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power Ice
- U-turn
- Explosion
Landorus's main use is to straight up power through things with his incredibly strong attacks. Landorus is my abuser should the opponent dare bring a Sand Streamer; few things like taking a Life Orb Earthquake, especially if they have boosted the attack by activating Sand Force. Hidden Power Ice helps destroy Gliscor (and weakened Dragonite), whereas U-turn helps to build the momentum and additionally provide a safe switch to Magnezone.
Landorus is my second Exploder. Explosion is a fantastic fourth move because the alternatives of Stone Edge/Rock Slide are normally unused in my experiences. Explosion can be used to take out specific threats to allow a teammate to sweep. Alternatively, if I have a lead in the match I will often Explode both Landorus and Azelf in two turns, as this will often guarantee that the rest of my team can take out the rest of the opponent's Pokémon and win the game. I should point out that despite having Life Orb, Landorus can often feign Choice Scarf until it an attack actually hits, which is incredibly useful for forcing switches and luring in threats. I don't use a Choice item because it would allow too many opportunities for setup, whereas Expert Belt does not provide any potential boost to Explosion and is simply too weak.
Mamoswine @ Life Orb
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Earthquake
- Icicle Spear
- Ice Shard
- Superpower
Mamoswine's Earthquake can double up with Landorus's attacks to wear down bulky Waters to the point of a sweep. Earthquake is just a fantastic move, and having a priority Ice move alongside makes it the perfect combination. Icicle Spear is a stronger STAB Ice move for when I need it and can help break through any bulky Multiscale Dragonite. Superpower is for opposing Mamoswine and Ferrothorn. It also hits Rotom-W pretty hard, as well as being Mamoswine's best hope of denting Bronzong.
Mamoswine is useful as it pairs up with so much of the team. As a second priority user, it can help pick off threats and can be used with Dragonite's ExtremeSpeed if necessary. Dragonite, Landorus, and Azelf can all help power through opposing Pokémon that may wall Mamoswine, and Magnezone will take out the ever annoying Skarmory. Finally, Mamoswine lures in Choiced Water and Fire moves, providing easy setup opportunities for Kingdra.
Kingdra @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 152 HP / 140 Atk / 40 SpD / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Waterfall
- Rest
Kingdra is unbelievably underrated. Kingdra gets a free double Speed boost against rain teams, which helps him to check tons of offensive Pokémon found on rain teams. I went for a bulkier set because I needed something to tank hits from Water-types, and Kingdra does the job well. Kingdra also has a rather important quad-resist to Fire moves.
A Dragon Dancing Rest set allows Kingdra to abuse its STAB moves early game whilst sponging hits, and then go for a late game sweep once the opponent's team has been weakened. The EV spread is tailored towards this role, and the Speed EVs allow Kingdra to get the jump on bulky 52 Speed EVed Volcarona. I chose Chesto Berry over Lum Berry because I prefer to Rest off burns and poison damage. Paralysis can be a bit of a pain, but on a team with two Ground-types it is a risky strategy (plus Body Slam Jirachi is normally taken out by Magnezone). The confusion from Outrage is not an excuse to use Lum Berry either, as it never really gets in the way due to my hatred of locking Kingdra into it early game. If Kingdra is using Outrage late game, then it is probably ripping the last few Pokémon to shreds anyway.
Conclusion
All in all, this team has been successful for me. It tends to be of solid use against all types of weather, as different Pokémon can take advantage of whatever weather the opponent may decide to bring. I don't have a real abuser of sun and hail, but against these teams the key to victory normally lies with Mamoswine and Dragonite, as well as Exploding at a good time.
The couple of problems include Shed Shell Skarmory and Cresselia, assuming the latter has support from Ninetales. Although Gengar and Terrakion look problematic, I tend to be fine against them because they don't get many opportunities to switch in safely. On top of this, I can normally force them out by feigning with Azelf or Landorus, and potentially pick up momentum so that the game is out of reach for the opponent by the time these Pokémon get the chance to switch back in.
I have had great fun with this team, and the fast pace of it really makes it quite exciting to play with. Some of the Pokémon are quite unusual too, and it is always quite nice to run something slightly unique. I really do hope you enjoyed reading my RMT as much as I enjoyed making it.
Introduction
A month ago, this team exploded onto the RMT subforum—literally! A long-forgotten strategy prominent in both ADV OU and DPP OU, twash's team, Hawaiian Air, is a 'modern' adaptation of the old Explosion teams. Not only does this blast from the past leave many veteran battlers in a state of nostalgia, it also leaves many new players baffled and frustrated in its wake. With a mix of old and new threats alike, the team seems to be almost a crossover between generations. Don't let that fool you, though, for this team has been incredibly successful in the BW OU environment. It even sports a 90%+ win rate to showcase its effectiveness. If you ever have the fortune—or misfortune, depending on your perspective—of facing this team, its fast pace and highly offense-oriented nature is sure to keep you on your toes.
Meet The Team
Leading the way for twash's team are a number of DPP OU mainstays. Azelf, once a common Stealth Rock lead, finds a place on this team in a similar role. Despite the Explosion nerf, Azelf's Explosion is still powerful enough to puncture even the sturdiest of bomb shelters, thanks to its 349 Attack. Ice Punch is important for slaying Dragons, while U-turn is vital for maintaining momentum.
Another former DPP OU star, ChestoRest Kingdra, slides in as one of the primary sweepers. Kingdra just hasn't been the same without Drizzle; however, it nabs a free Speed boost against rain teams, and is more than capable of taking those dreaded rain-boosted Hydro Pumps. Even without rain support, Kingdra can work its Speed and Attack up using Dragon Dance and Rest, then lay waste to the opposing team thanks to the excellent coverage granted by Outrage and Waterfall. Dragonite and Magnezone have always had an intimate relationship, except Dragonite now has a new toy in the form of Multiscale. These companions have maintained the same relationship, with Magnezone disposing of Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and other Steel-types so that Dragonite can mindlessly spam Outrage.
Rounding off the team are two powerful Ground-types. Landorus is a powerful wallbreaker who can double as a scout in a pinch, but unlike the standard wallbreaker, twash's Landorus possesses a secret weapon in Explosion. Just when the opponent thinks it's safe to set up, the sand genie detonates, leaving a gaping hole for twash's other offensive behemoths to exploit. Mamoswine picks up the scraps with a priority Ice Shard, but also makes a solid companion to Landorus with Earthquake and Icicle Spear.
Synergy
Momentum, momentum, momentum: that's what this team is all about. It grabs the offensive momentum on turn one and doesn't let go. So it should come as no surprise that twash's team employs three common leads in Azelf, Landorus, and Dragonite. The first two can scout with U-turn or go out with a bang to send in a sweeper safely; Azelf also happens to set up Stealth Rock, which helps twash's heavy hitters score some extra KOs. Neither of these Pokémon use Choice items, because doing so would give the opponent more opportunities to set up. Choice Band Dragonite is an interesting case. Without Rapid Spin support or healing, Dragonite is ideally sent in before Stealth Rock goes up. Multiscale almost always ensures that Dragonite will fire off an attack, and with a Choice Band, Dragonite almost always threatens a KO, putting tremendous offensive pressure on the opponent from the get-go.
Dragonite's value goes beyond its ability to apply offensive pressure. It also weakens sturdy walls so that Kingdra can pull off a clean sweep. Magnezone performs a similar function, trapping and eliminating Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and other Pokémon that may trouble the dragons. Mamoswine serves as a last resort to threats such as Landorus and Salamence, and shares offensive synergy with Landorus, as very few bulky Waters can take Earthquakes from both of these offensive juggernauts. Mamoswine also lures in Choice-locked Fire- and Water-type moves for Kingdra to set up on.
Threats
This team lives and dies on its ability to maintain offensive pressure; powerful threats rarely have an opportunity to come in and set up. Furthermore, most defensively based Pokémon cannot withstand the onslaught of powerful attacks. That being said, there are still a number of Pokémon that give this team trouble. First and foremost, Shed Shell Skarmory can escape the grasps of Magnezone as it proceeds to wall the remainder of twash's team. If Terrakion and Gengar can come in safely, they can take out a number of twash's Pokémon before biting the dust. Thankfully, these threats rarely have a chance to manifest themselves thanks to the torrid offensive pace of the team. Finally, Rotom-W can be a pain in the behind, as Magnezone and Mamoswine are outsped and taken out by Hydro Pump before they can retaliate with Thunderbolt or Superpower. The team's best course of action against the washing machine is to detonate either Azelf or Landorus, who are both valuable early-game for their ability to scout and maintain momentum.
Conclusion
Hawaiian Air goes to show that seemingly outdated strategies can remain effective if you modify it to fit current trends. Despite this team's success, this type of team will likely never overthrow VoltTurn, rain stall, and the like, but don't hold that against it. While the strategy itself hasn't taken off in terms of popularity, the most important lesson is that unorthodox, long-forgotten strategies do have their place in the metagame, with twash's team being a premier example.
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