Introduction
Welcome! This is my play on "Hyper Offense" in Gen 1, as my team lacks the Lax and Chansey that can make Gen 1 OU games drag on for so long. Although this hurts the viability of this team in the eyes of some, I feel like the team is strong enough on its own merit in the context of Gen 1 OU. I have been rigorously testing it on both the ladder and RoA tour nights, and if given the opportunity I'd love to try it out in some more serious tournaments. I would like to ask that you don't dismiss this team right off the bat because of its unconventional structure, as though it obviously is not as consistent as a standard Gen 1 OU team, it can be very effective in the right matchup, and doesn't have any glaring weaknesses to other teams common in the meta. I implore anyone interested in diversifying Gen 1 OU to try this team out, as it's very fast paced, offensive, and high risk/reward in contrast to many other Gen 1 archetypes. And all talk of viability aside, I think it's just plain fun! With that said, let me begin:
Beasts of No Nation (All DVs/Stat Exp are Maxed)
For this team, I decided to start with my favorite two member core, Zapdos and Sandslash. Both are excellent late-game pokemon with great offensive synergy. Zapdos is a pokemon that tends to draw a lot of Thunder Waves, which are generally the best switch-in opportunites Sandslash will get, while Sandslash can lure and paralyze the dangerous Starmie, allowing Zapdos to finish it off without worrying about catching a powerful Blizzard. Zapdos can also be a very underrated paralysis spreader, which is great for a late-game Sandslash sweep, while Sandslash can effectively counter Rhy/Gol to clear the way for Zapdos late game.
Sandslash and Zapdos play very differently, but share one glaring weakness: Ice type attacks. That combined with the reduced physical tanking ability of Sandslash when compared to its rock type competition makes Cloyster a very snug fit. Cloyster has probably the best Tauros matchup in the game, easily sponges up Ice type attacks, has a powerful boom to halt enemy momentum, can pivot around with Clamp, and can throw around deceptively powerful STAB Blizzards. A great offensive/defensive threat, Cloyster is close to a must-have on any team using both Zapdos and Sandslash.
Cloyster can soak a lot of Ice type attacks, but one Ice type it absolutely cannont even pivot into is Jynx, as Jynx outspeeds, Psychic hits it in on its much weaker special side and Lovely Kiss threatens to put the boisterous oyster out of commision. Overall, this team hates switching into the Sleep + Freeze + Psychic combination of Jynx, so it's a major issue. Thankfully, Jynx's physical frality and awkward speed tier mostly limit it to the lead position, as there is little Jynx is comfortable switching into. Therefore an effective way to minimize the threat posed by Jynx to this team is to anti-lead it with a fire type, and for reasons I will get into down below, Rapidash was my choice.
Big 4 it is not, but nonetheless I had my core. When looking through the checklist for Gen 1, several important boxes went unfilled. First and foremost, a sleeper was needed. I decided to go with Victreebel for its more immediately threatening damage output with Razor Leaf and Body Slam, particularly against Starmie and Chansey. The extra speed often comes in handy, and Vic sharing a check with Sandslash is great, as after 2 Body Slams from Vic, Eggy is nearly guaranteed to drop to +2 Hyper Beam. Vic is also probably the best offensive check to Amneisa users, with both an instacrit move to hit through boosts as well as a fast sleep. Last but not least, no RBY team is complete without the (somewhat disputed) King of the Tier, Tauros. Everyone knows what Gen 1 Tauros does, and this Tauros set is bog standard, but Tauros does especially well with Sandslash as they share common checks, and therefore can weaken and paralyze them for each other to sweep late game. Tauros is also another very common Thunder Wave target, providing Sandslash a somewhat consistent late game entry. Tauros, Zapdos and Sandslash are an incredibly dangerous late game core.
Beasts of No Nation
Note: All IVs/Stat XP. are maxed outHorseradish (Rapidash)
Anti-Sleep Lead
- Fire Blast
- Body Slam
- Fire Spin
- Agility
K. Dot (Sandslash)
Swords Dance Sweeper + Electric Type Counter
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Hyper Beam
NSFW (Victreebel)
Fast Supporting Status Inducer
- Razor Leaf
- Sleep Powder
- Stun Spore
- Body Slam
Sparky (Zapdos)
Strong Mixed Attacker / Special Tank + Paralysis Spreader
- Thunder Wave
- Thunder
- Drill Peck
- Thunderbolt / Light Screen / Rest
1. Thunder can turn the tide against the bull
2. Thunder can really help Zapdos avoid getting hit by Blizzards/Strong Water moves
Though there are some situations where Thunderbolt is objectively better...
3. Thunder can put a lot more pressure on the opponent in switches and against Reflect users that look to avoid Zapdos's mixed capabilities. With some luck it can even make the difference in the Electric vs. Electric match up as well, though remember, you can't para electrics with Thunder! Also important to note that in Gen 1 only, Thunder only has a 10% chance to paralyze, same as T-Bolt, otherwise it would be even better.
So yeah, obviously all the calcs come with the assumption the opposition is at full health, and obviously the decision for one over the other can be pretty nuanced, but just thought I'd give a little primer of (most) of the relevant OU calcs for Thunder vs T-Bolt.
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Tauros: 151-178 (42.7 - 50.4%) -- 0.8% chance to 2HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Tauros: 191-225 (54.1 - 63.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (effectively 50% after accuracy is factored but before crits)
This is relevant because Zapdos avoids the 2HKO from Tauros without any crits, and since they're both great endgame mons, this can be a fairly common matchup. No better feeling than critting and OHKOing the bull as well.
Zapdos Thunder vs. Tauros: 191-225 (54.1 - 63.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (effectively 50% after accuracy is factored but before crits)
This is relevant because Zapdos avoids the 2HKO from Tauros without any crits, and since they're both great endgame mons, this can be a fairly common matchup. No better feeling than critting and OHKOing the bull as well.
2. Thunder can really help Zapdos avoid getting hit by Blizzards/Strong Water moves
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Starmie: 241-284 (74.6 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Starmie: 306-360 (94.7 - 111.4%) -- 69.2% chance to OHKO (Essentially 50% after accuracy and before crit)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Cloyster: 267-314 (88.1 - 103.6%) -- 23.1% chance to OHKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Cloyster: 336-396 (110.8 - 130.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO (Essentially 70% to OHKO, 91% chance to KO after 2 turns)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Slowbro: 280-330 (71.2 - 83.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. +2 Slowbro: 139-164 (35.3 - 41.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Slowbro: 354-416 (90 - 105.8%) -- 38.5% chance to OHKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. +2 Slowbro: 175-206 (44.5 - 52.4%) -- 18.9% chance to 2HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Jynx: 125-147 (37.5 - 44.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Jynx: 156-184 (46.8 - 55.2%) -- 72.2% chance to 2HKO
Zapdos Drill Peck vs. Jynx: 142-168 (42.6 - 50.4%) -- 0.9% chance to 2HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Starmie: 306-360 (94.7 - 111.4%) -- 69.2% chance to OHKO (Essentially 50% after accuracy and before crit)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Cloyster: 267-314 (88.1 - 103.6%) -- 23.1% chance to OHKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Cloyster: 336-396 (110.8 - 130.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO (Essentially 70% to OHKO, 91% chance to KO after 2 turns)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Slowbro: 280-330 (71.2 - 83.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. +2 Slowbro: 139-164 (35.3 - 41.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Slowbro: 354-416 (90 - 105.8%) -- 38.5% chance to OHKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. +2 Slowbro: 175-206 (44.5 - 52.4%) -- 18.9% chance to 2HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Jynx: 125-147 (37.5 - 44.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Jynx: 156-184 (46.8 - 55.2%) -- 72.2% chance to 2HKO
Zapdos Drill Peck vs. Jynx: 142-168 (42.6 - 50.4%) -- 0.9% chance to 2HKO
Though there are some situations where Thunderbolt is objectively better...
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Lapras: 250-294 (53.9 - 63.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Lapras: 313-368 (67.6 - 79.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
(Articuno calc is nearly identical)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Alakazam: 97-115 (30.9 - 36.7%) -- 71.7% chance to 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Alakazam: 123-145 (39.2 - 46.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (after accuracy this is more like a 33% chance, so worse than T-Bolt)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Gengar: 102-120 (31.5 - 37.1%) -- 83.7% chance to 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Gengar: 127-150 (39.3 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (See above)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Gyarados: 483-568 (122.9 - 144.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Lapras: 313-368 (67.6 - 79.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
(Articuno calc is nearly identical)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Alakazam: 97-115 (30.9 - 36.7%) -- 71.7% chance to 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Alakazam: 123-145 (39.2 - 46.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (after accuracy this is more like a 33% chance, so worse than T-Bolt)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Gengar: 102-120 (31.5 - 37.1%) -- 83.7% chance to 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Gengar: 127-150 (39.3 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (See above)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Gyarados: 483-568 (122.9 - 144.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
3. Thunder can put a lot more pressure on the opponent in switches and against Reflect users that look to avoid Zapdos's mixed capabilities. With some luck it can even make the difference in the Electric vs. Electric match up as well, though remember, you can't para electrics with Thunder! Also important to note that in Gen 1 only, Thunder only has a 10% chance to paralyze, same as T-Bolt, otherwise it would be even better.
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Chansey: 117-138 (16.6 - 19.6%) -- possible 6HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Chansey: 146-172 (20.7 - 24.4%) -- guaranteed 5HKO
Zapdos Drill Peck vs. Chansey through Reflect: 110-130 (15.6 - 18.4%) -- possible 6HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Snorlax: 156-184 (29.8 - 35.1%) -- 18.6% chance to 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Snorlax: 197-232 (37.6 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (as with the Zam calc above, it's about a 33% chance, so twice as good as T-Bolt)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Persian: 156-184 (46.8 - 55.2%) -- 72.2% chance to 2HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Persian: 197-232 (59.1 - 69.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (This one could go either way)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Jolteon: 56-66 (16.8 - 19.8%) -- guaranteed 6HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Jolteon: 71-84 (21.3 - 25.2%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO
Jolteon Thunderbolt vs. Zapdos: 94-111 (24.5 - 28.9%) -- 99.8% chance to 4HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Zapdos: 102-121 (26.6 - 31.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Zapdos: 130-153 (33.9 - 39.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Raichu: 64-76 (19.8 - 23.5%) -- possible 5HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Raichu: 81-96 (25 - 29.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Chansey: 146-172 (20.7 - 24.4%) -- guaranteed 5HKO
Zapdos Drill Peck vs. Chansey through Reflect: 110-130 (15.6 - 18.4%) -- possible 6HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Snorlax: 156-184 (29.8 - 35.1%) -- 18.6% chance to 3HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Snorlax: 197-232 (37.6 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (as with the Zam calc above, it's about a 33% chance, so twice as good as T-Bolt)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Persian: 156-184 (46.8 - 55.2%) -- 72.2% chance to 2HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Persian: 197-232 (59.1 - 69.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (This one could go either way)
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Jolteon: 56-66 (16.8 - 19.8%) -- guaranteed 6HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Jolteon: 71-84 (21.3 - 25.2%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO
Jolteon Thunderbolt vs. Zapdos: 94-111 (24.5 - 28.9%) -- 99.8% chance to 4HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Zapdos: 102-121 (26.6 - 31.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Zapdos: 130-153 (33.9 - 39.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. Raichu: 64-76 (19.8 - 23.5%) -- possible 5HKO
Zapdos Thunder vs. Raichu: 81-96 (25 - 29.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
So yeah, obviously all the calcs come with the assumption the opposition is at full health, and obviously the decision for one over the other can be pretty nuanced, but just thought I'd give a little primer of (most) of the relevant OU calcs for Thunder vs T-Bolt.
Boisterous Oyster (Cloyster)
Physical Sponge, Blizzard Spammer, Exploder and Pivot
- Clamp
- Blizzard
- Explosion
- Surf / Double Edge
Big Mac (Tauros) (M)
King of the Tier
- Body Slam
- Hyper Beam
- Earthquake
- Blizzard
Weaknesses
- First and foremost, fast leads can give this team a lot of trouble. The matchup against fast para leads (Zam and Starmie primarily) is very inconsistent, though Agility + Body Slam can occasionally win me the matchup. Paralyzing one of Alakazam and Starmie is often enough for the rest of the team to succeed. The biggest problem in the lead matchup however is definitely Gengar. Gengar is a sleep lead not threatened by Rapidash, and it is immune to Body Slam. Although Hypnosis accuracy is very shaky, there's not much Rapidash can do, and once it's put to sleep, Gengar is difficult to switch into. The fact that nothing on my team outspeeds Gengar compounds the issue, as I generally have to paralyze or sleep Gengar later on and finish it off with an Earthquake. The fact that Gengar usually packs Psychic and T-Bolt means no pokemon wants to switch in, and Victreebel is not safe for a sleep even if brought in safely. Worst comes to worse, an unboosted Sandslash will usually OHKO Gengar, but it doesn't like switching into Psychic. I can somewhat mitigate that with a double from Cloyster to bait a T-Bolt, but that is prediction reliant and damages my best Lax/Tauros answer. Lead Gengar is a serious problem for this team, and definitley one of the biggest factors limitting its success, though thankfully it is not especially common these days.
-Teams with both Alakazam and Starmie on them can also prove very troublesome, as this team lacks the special sponging power of Chansey and, like Gengar, can't outspeed them. Generally I am able to wear them down with a combination of status and offensive pressure, but a few bad turns of luck and this team can find itself in an unwinnable situation against them. In many cases, Zam is best paralyzed, and finished off by Sandslash. It's important to note that Sandslash will always OHKO at +2 with either Earthquake or Hyper Beam.
-Ice type spam can give this team a ton of trouble as half the team is weak to Ice, Gen 1 means Rapidash doesn't resist, and Cloyster already has a lot on its plate (plus many Ice type attackers can hit it hard with either T-Bolt coverage or their secondary STAB). If I'm not mistaken though, this archetype is much more common on cartridge, where freeze clause doesn't exist, and is much less viable in Showdown, so I have yet to encounter it with this team. That being said, even 2 Ice types on one team can give this team trouble, so it's definitely worth noting,
Despite the abundance of Rock/Ground checks/counters, any team with Zapdos is going to have a problem dealing with these pokemon. Zapdos is just such free entry, and they are very dangerous pokemon to give free turns too. They don't generally cause too much of an issue, but if someone scouts the team properly and plays smart with one of these ground types, they can do a ton of damage.
Conclusion
First of all, if you've gotten this far, thank you! This team has been years in the making, and an absolute labor of love. This RMT took a ton of time but I'm proud of this team and I hope people get enjoyment out of it, whether just by reading through it, testing the team out, or best-case scenario, being inspired to try novel teambuilding in RBY OU! Again, this team is far from standard but it matches up well with the standard metagame of RBY OU in a legitimate role, not because of surprise factor. Thanks once again for reading, down below are some further resources if you're interested in this team. If anyone needs clarity on anything, I'd be happy to answer questions in either the forums or PMs. Below are some replays from ladder and RBY tour nightsI think they do a better job of demonstrating the strengths (and weaknesses) of this team, so if you have the time I'd say they're well worth the watch. And as always, any and all feedback is encouraged. I like this team a lot, but there's always room for improvement. In fact, I got the idea to add Rapidash from a comment on my last RMT (Thanks Calebmon) so don't be shy. Enjoy!
*****DISCLAIMER***** Some of the replays may have NSFW language, and I understand that may offend people. So I apologize but if you are someone who that would upset, please do not watch them, or if you do, you've at least been warned.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1302155419
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1297219483
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1306986623
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1297209445
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1303005144
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1306995265
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1303075270
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1297157145
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1306997256
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1301667846
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1289646898
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1302155419
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1297219483
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1306986623
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1297209445
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1303005144
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1306995265
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1303075270
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1297157145
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1306997256
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1301667846
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen1ou-1289646898
Horseradish (Rapidash)
Ability: none
- Fire Blast
- Body Slam
- Fire Spin
- Agility
K. Dot (Sandslash)
Ability: none
- Swords Dance
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Hyper Beam
Sparky (Zapdos)
Ability: none
- Thunder
- Thunder Wave
- Drill Peck
- Thunderbolt
Victory (Victreebel)
Ability: none
- Sleep Powder
- Razor Leaf
- Body Slam
- Stun Spore
Boisterous Oyster (Cloyster)
Ability: none
- Blizzard
- Clamp
- Explosion
- Surf
Big Mac (Tauros) (M)
Ability: none
- Body Slam
- Hyper Beam
- Earthquake
- Blizzard
Ability: none
- Fire Blast
- Body Slam
- Fire Spin
- Agility
K. Dot (Sandslash)
Ability: none
- Swords Dance
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Hyper Beam
Sparky (Zapdos)
Ability: none
- Thunder
- Thunder Wave
- Drill Peck
- Thunderbolt
Victory (Victreebel)
Ability: none
- Sleep Powder
- Razor Leaf
- Body Slam
- Stun Spore
Boisterous Oyster (Cloyster)
Ability: none
- Blizzard
- Clamp
- Explosion
- Surf
Big Mac (Tauros) (M)
Ability: none
- Body Slam
- Hyper Beam
- Earthquake
- Blizzard