SM OU buzzwole, doublade, mantine

[Sawyer.]

(Listen while you read!)

Hi guys, Sawyer here. I want to showcase an extremely solid stall build that I created some months ago and which has proven itself in the hands of many players on the ladder. Let's get right into it.

The Team

In Depth

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Defog

Zapdos is the best defensive Defogger thanks to its Pressure ability. It can switch into the majority of hazard setters and beat them 1v1. Its chief defensive responsibility on this team is to keep enemy Tornadus-Therian in check, but it can also be my primary or secondary switch-in to a number of physical threats depending on what I need to keep healthy. One of this team's greatest assets is its flexibility when combatting physical attackers, and Zapdos is a key part of that.

Buzzwole @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 4 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Roost
- Bulk Up
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch

I've caught a bit of flak for this Buzzwole set but it's simply far more effective than the slow Buzzwole with Drain Punch that's in the analysis. Drain Punch hits almost nothing that isn't covered by the combination of Bulk Up and Earthquake, while EQ has major benefits such as chunking Mawile, bopping Heatran and incoming Tapu Koko, and sweeping through weakened Toxapex. Ice Punch is necessary for Buzzwole to fulfil its purpose of invalidating Zygarde, while Bulk Up deals with boosting Tapu Bulu sets, Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar etc and turns Buzzwole into a late-game win condition. Max speed complements this moveset by outpacing Heatran and Adamant Lando, allowing you to surprise each with an OHKO, and is helpful against the likes of Hoopa, Gliscor, CB Bulu and more. Rocky Helmet makes Buzzwole a more active and effective counter to physical threats. 4 Atk EVs are used to ensure Buzzwole gets an attack boost after KOing something.

Doublade @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Toxic
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Super cool mon that negates common stallbreakers like Heracross, Tapu Lele, Z-Kyurem-B and Medicham. Max special defense ensures that the combination of Doublade and Chansey can handle any Lele set. Gyro Ball OHKOs Lele and is therefore superior to Iron Head in spite of its meagre 8PP. RestTalk is actually very effective on Doublade and makes him self-sufficient in countering the aforementioned threats.

Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 160 HP / 252 Def / 96 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Bell
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic

The usual fat pink blob. I wanted to replace her with Audino but couldn't make it work, maybe next time. Anyway, dual Seismic Toss / Toxic coverage is essential imo so it was important to me that nothing on the team required Wish support. I use a bit more special defense than is standard since a) it's more efficient and b) reducing chip damage from Volt Switch etc means you have to heal less and c) this team relies less on Chansey to beat Tapu Lele and Z-Kyurem-B than do most stall teams.

Mantine @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 36 Def / 224 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Haze
- Defog

Mantine is my back-up Defogger, handling hazard setters that frighten Zapdos such as Heatran, Toxapex and Greninja. It's also an outstanding special wall in its own right, providing security and flexibility against the likes of CM Alakazam, Charizard-Y, CM Blacephalon, Manaphy and CM Reuniclus. There's nothing much to say about Mantine except that it's ridiculously effective at what it does.

Quagsire @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Recover
- Stockpile

Besides being the most reliable Unaware mon, Quagsire's resilience in the face of powerful Fire-type wallbreakers (CB Victini, Zard-X), resistance to CB Tar Stone Edge, and ability to play mindgames with Volt Switch users is invaluable for this team. I discarded Scald, which doesn't hit anything useful, in favour of Stockpile which turns Quag into a threatening win condition against offensive teams.

Threat List

Mawile is a pain, particularly when paired with Rotom-W or Volt Switch Koko. Both Zapdos and Buzzwole can usually sacrifice themselves to leave it on low HP, or I can resort to saccing my least useful mon and forcing it out. Stockpile Quag can sweep a lot of the offensive teams it's found on as well.

Stealth Rock setters which beat both my Defoggers are irritating if paired with the wrong mons. For instance, Tornadus-T with Knock Off and Rocks up is a massive threat.

The way to beat it is to drain its Leaf Storm PP using Zapdos' Pressure in conjunction with Chansey and Doublade. It can easily get out of hand late-game though.

Luckily max speed Taunt variants aren't too common because you just have to chip it down, pressure it with Zapdos and pray.

Importable

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Defog

Doublade @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Toxic
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 160 HP / 252 Def / 96 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Bell
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic

Mantine @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 36 Def / 224 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Haze
- Defog

Quagsire @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Recover
- Stockpile

Buzzwole @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 4 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Roost
- Bulk Up
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch

 

[Vessev]

please put stealth rock on this team

 

[Sawyer.]

Stealth Rock isn't useful on this team. It's built around switching Zapdos or Mantine immediately into enemy hazard setters and Defogging. If I and my opponent both have Rocks up, that's a terrible situation to be in. The team doesn't even get that much benefit out of having Rocks up, since the team applies little offensive pressure and has solid counters to all the typical threats you'd want Rocks for (Volcarona, Pinsir, Charizard etc). The first version of this team actually had Mega Steelix with Stealth Rock and Unaware Clefable instead of Doublade and Quagsire, but even though Steelix could get Rocks up consistently it was usually a wasted turn.