SM OU Hi, getting back into competitive after a 2 year hiatus. How does my team look?

Title explains it all. Is my team optimal? Are there any checks or counters I am overlooking? Thanks for the help! I'm using Lopunny as my mega as she's my favourite mega.

Hi everyone! As the title explains, I am returning to competitive battling after a two year hiatus. I was snooping around of the forums and PS a bit and formulated the following team:


Ferrothorn (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Gyro Ball

Just a standard physically defensive Ferro set, dedicated to spreading rocks and paralysis in its wake. I'm using Gyro Ball over Power Whip due to the fact that Gyro Ball dents many fairies not called Magearna. Also, Ferro is a nice answer to all the pesky Electric types running around. Leech Seed allows for some passive recovery alongside Lefties. I was thinking about Rocky Helmet to allow Lopunny to punch through easier.



Toxapex (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Scald
- Toxic
- Baneful Bunker

Specially defensive Toxapex to handle all the Fighting and Fire types Ferrothorn cannot. Toxapex and Ferrothorn make a pretty solid defensive core, as they cover each other's weaknesses nicely. Toxapex, like Ferrothorn, spreads status through Scald, Baneful Bunker and Toxic. Recover allows Toxapex to last longer. Nothing much else to this mon.



Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Defog

Quite possibly one of the best Pokemon in the tier from what I can gather. Immunities to both Ground and Electric help this team immensely. Standard Scarf Lando to force switches with Intimidate and U-Turn out to maintain momentum. Defog is to remove hazards faster than anyone else, and EQ and Stone Miss Edge gives almost neutral coverage.



Naganadel @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Fire Blast
- Nasty Plot

This thing is probably not going to be around for long, and for good reason. This thing demolishes almost anything it touches after a Nasty Plot, and Beast Boost makes sure nothing can stop it. Dragonium Z allows Naganadel to break anything that's not a Fairy type with Draco Meteor. Sludge Wave is a powerful secondary STAB, and Fire Blast is to deal with Magearna and Ferrothorn.



Greninja (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- U-turn

I would normally never run this set, but in a world of Naganadels, this is one of the few options. As well, Greninja works well alongside Naganadel, as Greninja forces out Heatran and TTar. U-Turn is to maintain momentum. Other than that, this set's pretty standard.



Lopunny (F) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- High Jump Kick
- Fire Punch

Last and definitely not least. I've always thought Mega Lopunny was kinda underrated back when I was playing, and that sentiment remains. This thing hurts. Fake Out to get free damage, Return and High Jump Kick for powerful STAB. I was considering running Ice Punch to deal with bulky Ground types, but I anticipate this team having trouble with Magearna and Ferrothorn.

So yeah, this is my prototype team. I'm still not sure if I'm overlooking any checks or counters. Thanks for the help!
 
Last edited:

IronBullet

Astronomy Domine
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnus
Hi - I'm locking your RMT for the time being as the forum rules require that you provide in-depth descriptions for each Pokemon to explain their roles. Please read the rules carefully and take a look at Team Showcase to see the level of detail we require. PM me with updated descriptions and I'll be happy to unlock this.

Edit: Reopened
 
Last edited:
Other users that are far superior players than the likes of me can probably give a better full rate, but since no one else has started I'll at least get the ball rolling with a couple of points:



First off, this team is quite weak to Electric/Psychic/Grassy/(I'd assume there's a Misty equivalent but I've never seen it run) Seed Hawlucha, considering two thirds of your team gets easily outspeed and straight-up OHKO'd at +2, while the other two are still hit hard by Acrobatics and lack any way to halt the sweep, especially since your Toxapex is specially defensive and lacks Haze. As far as a fix, it's worth noting that most Ferrothorns that run Thunder Wave also carry a Chople Berry, as it allows them to lure Hawlucha and other speedy Fighting-types like Mega Lopunny to cripple them while also helping out against Fighting coverage from certain other mons such as Focus Blast Magearna.



The other point I'd like to raise is the fact that Baneful Bunker, while an attractive move on paper, is generally considered by basically everybody to be awful in practice. Again, a better player could probably explain it in more depth than I can, but the gist of it is that you never want to be inflicting regular poison with Toxapex: using Toxic or going for Scald burns is always the superior option, to the point where vanilla Protect is actually a much better choice. I would also consider Haze, since it helps against the sweepers that your Scarfers struggle to beat such as Shift Gear Magearna, Naganadel (for about the one day or so it probably has left in OU), Hawlucha, and DD Gyarados. It often won't beat these things 1v1, unfortunately, but it can bail your team out of some uncomfortable positions and ease the job for your revenge-killers (i.e. by removing Magearna's Speed boosts so Landorus can click EQ without being blown away by Ice Beam first). Haze also prevents these same mons from trying to boost right in front of Toxapex and power through it, further helping out your matchup against setup mons in general.


In conclusion, I hope my suggestions and points help you out, and I also hope this thread bump helps you get a somewhat more extensive rate if one is needed. Have fun testing!
 
Kyurem-B especially could leave a huge dent in your team if set for all-out attacking was my first thought.

Not really sure on the Ferrothorn-Toxapex combo since Ferrothorn has a good amount of problems that would drag Toxapex down with it, such as neutral Ground weakness, preventing you from saving Ferrothorn from a nasty Fire mon that more than likely has a Ground move or just hits really damn hard. For example, you send Ferrothorn out and your opponent sends out Charizard Y to set up early Sunny Day. Ferrothorn is now screwed, so you would switch it out... with whom? Toxapex may resist any Fire move, but with Sunny Day out, Char-Y can still tear out a third of its HP with Flamethrower and Toxapex really couldn't do much beyond Toxic. But by then Toxapex would have lost roughly 2/3rds of its HP. Switching to Landorus instead would just likely knock out Landorus as well. And since Ferrothorn should be the first one out to set up Stealth Rocks, the odds of it being hit by a bad match up is higher. Of course that's all subjective, but worth the thought.

For Toxapex, as SheerForce mentioned Baneful Bunker is counter-productive for the standard Toxapex build. You want Toxic on your opponent, not normal Poison. Consider using Haze for the mons that need to buff to deal with Toxapex and Toxic Spikes instead of Toxic, because odds are people are going to just switch stuff out as soon as they see Toxapex. And if you open the match with Toxapex, T.Spikes are just even eviler. Plus T.Spikes lets you keep your hands free for Scalding when a Steel type comes in to eat the spikes.

Nothing much to comment on Landorus-T since its always a rather solid choice for any team, as reluctant as I am to say.

Naganadel will more than likely be gone soon, so no comment there.

Greninja is a good choice for revenging, but not much else. Choice Scarf is also an odd choice for item, though I know it's for anti-Naganadel plays. Once said mon is gone, consider something that could potentially let Greninja survive more than one hit. Like Assault Vest or something.

Props for using Mega Lopunny, though it feels like just a physical Greninja in a sense of it being fast and speedy, but frail. You already have both Landorus and Greninja for speedy stuff, so Lopunny feels redundant. Perhaps a different Mega could be of use, like M.Tyranitar for Sandstorm support to Ferrothorn and Landorus or Mega Diancie for Dragon checks and painful Fairy times. Limber also just really doesn't do much unless you somehow get matched with someone who is in love with paralysis.

Overall, I'd give the team a 7/10. Toxapex, Landorus-T, and Nagandel feel like they're just there because so many people use them, regardless on if they actually work together. Greninja is solid for what it does, Mega is questionable but could work, and Ferrothorn is Ferrothorn.
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top