I wanted to build with SD Hisuian Samurott after seeing blunder win with it in WCoP and njnp and ausma 's video on the set. I found it to be an absolutely incredible breaker into fat and useful into offense, with deceptive bulk and incredible value generated with Spikes.
1. Proof of Peak
2. Teambuilding Process
3. Individual Pokémon
4. Threats
5. Replays
6. Conclusion
Proof of Peak:
Teambuilding Process:
This team came from a lot of experimentation with the following core, with some successes and some failures, but it ultimately ended up in the following BO structure.
I started with Glowking as a versatile pivot that synergizes very well with Adamant Samurott with Future Sight and Thunder Wave.
Next I wanted a special breaker that could maintain momentum. Initially I had Tera Steel Tera Blast Dragapult to lure Enamorus and Ice Shard Bax, but the team later needed Tera Dragon and Thunderbolt for Water Garganacl. Specs Dragapult is an absolute menace in this meta. Use it.
I wanted more answers to physical threats like Baxcalibur and Kingambit. So the dynamic duo of SV was added. Air Balloon Gambit is really important for the team and it was initially Jolly Low Kick for other Gambits. Great Tusk was initially Rocks but I found that to be unnecessary and wanted an additional win condition so I made it Bulk Up.
Finally, I wanted a Knock Off user to help win against stall archetypes and a win condition to take advantage of Spikes and the progress made by our breakers. SD Encore Valiant was added and later changed to mixed Encore.
Individual Pokémon:
Samurott-Hisui @ Mystic Water
Ability: Sharpness
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Razor Shell
- Ceaseless Edge
- Aqua Jet
- Swords Dance
The build-around mon: this set has won me so many games. I EV'd it to outspeed 230 Tusk, which is a common upper limit for defensive Tusk now that Ice Spinner and Enamorus are common. The remaining EVs went to HP and make it bulky enough to live numerous strong hits and fire back with Sharpness-boosted STABs. Mystic Water gives immediate power to priority Aqua Jet, and I've found it to be the most consistent, but I've tried LO, Boots, and Covert Cloak in the item slot. Each has their benefits.
Slowking-Galar @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 124 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Sludge Bomb
- Future Sight
- Chilly Reception
- Thunder Wave
Glowking offers a switch-in to many of the things that force Samurott out, such as Zapdos, Enamorus, and Walking Wake. It also can't be understated how useful the slow pivot from Chilly Reception is in supporting Samurott and friends. Grabbing momentum and punishing dead turns/switches is exactly what the spikes gameplan wants to do. Glowking is just perfect support for Samu.
Dragapult @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
Next, we have the unforseen MVP of the team. Modest specs pult has no switchins. Other pults and Zamazenta are handled well enough by the rest of the team for me to feel comfortable sacrificing speed for the ability to pick up extra Shadow Ball 2hkos and OHKO Garg with Tera Dragon Draco. Thunderbolt lets us deal with Garganacl if we burned tera elsewhere, in addition to OHKOing Enamorus.
Kingambit @ Air Balloon
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
This is an incredibly standard Gambit. We're max speed mostly for other non-Low Kick Kingambits, as our options for dealing with it are limited to Great Tusk, Valiant, and neutral hits from Samurott. Flying tera lets us handle Valiant, Great Tusk, and Zamazenta much better, and though it could be Fairy or even Fire (for Cinderace), I'm most comfortable with Flying atm. Air Balloon is mainly there to give us a solid Bax answer in the midgame without burning tera, but it's also necessary as otherwise the team has no ground immunity for things like Landorus-T and Sandy Shocks.
Great Tusk @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 236 HP / 192 Def / 80 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Spinner
- Bulk Up
- Rapid Spin
I don't think I should have to justify Tusk's place on a team in this meta, so I won't. Speed is to outspeed Enamorus after Rapid Spin and Bulk Up gives a strong alternate wincon into many teams. Water Tera is for Samurott, rain, and Bax.
Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Encore
- Moonblast
Valiant is the perfect mon to take advantage of Tera Dragon Draco kills as well as Spikes and the breaking power of Samurott. Tera Steel helps you revenge other Valiants and avoid poison when breaking stall with Knock Off + Spikes. Destiny Bond or SD over Encore are possible but Encore gives you great counterplay to setup especially Sub Zamazenta and Baxcalibur.
Threats:
Cinderace is easy enough to play around (avoid getting Spikes up unless you can play aggressively to prevent Court Change opportunities) but it can be devestatingly effective to remove hazards and set them at the same time.
The only thing that we have to outspeed Timid Pult is Booster Valiant. Preserving Kingambit is very necessary. Curiously, I didn't run into too many Specs pults in my laddering with this team, but it's not that bad to play around when you do. Paralyzing it with Glowking is very helpful.
Non-choiced Enamorus is a difficult matchup. Playing around choiced is easy because Glowking lives EP and Gambit offers an immunity, but Life Orb and/or Sub CM are threatening. Pult revenges and Tera Gambit can beat it.
Spikes on non-boots help you. Otherwise, use it as a free Pult switchin (beware Avalanche) and try to encore the Curse or Sleep Talk to chip it down.
Main counterplay: Tera Pult and Encore Valiant. Had a lot of trouble with Garg until I changed Pult's Tera but what team doesn't?
Replays:
Peak against the classic janky elpets team
Tera Water Samurott brings it back (featuring SZ commentary)
Better game against same team
Hello OU room
VS Shocks HO
VS Ting-Amoong BO
Conclusion:
Low effort RMT but I think this team is really good and could have peaked higher if I didn't choke a few games. Shoutouts to the many friends I've made on this site so far and especially US South.
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/65f7306b7c74cab3
