USUM OU Team-Building Competition

Welcome! The main goal of the Team-Building Competition is to hone your team-building skills, as well as provide a way for you to learn from other people's teams and apply that to your own team building. Since PC battlers tend to stick with the same teams all the time, this event will hopefully encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and create more teams.

Each round will involve a core of two Pokemon that all teams must have. You will be given two weeks to submit a team, offer suggestions to everyone else's teams, and discuss the teams in general. However, I will delay the deadline if there aren't enough submissions. Afterwards, there will be three days when anyone, including those that aren't participating, can cast a vote for the best team.

- You may only post one team and vote for one team per round. Editing your submitted team isn't allowed once the voting phase has begun. Don't vote for your own team.
- Make sure to test your team, especially on the Smogon server's ladder. Even better, you are encouraged to include replays of your team in action.
- Please include a PS import of your team in addition to explanations of the choices you made during team building.
- Images (XY / ORAS / SM) are good for presentation, but not required.
- When voting, consider the following criteria: viability (is the team good?), creativity (does it stray from standard builds?), and synergy (is there evidence of thoughtful team building?). Please try to explain the reasoning behind your vote.

This round's core:

Ok I started this 2 days ago but then my computer suddenly restarted, so this post will be much shorter than it would have been. I won't be putting more time into this in the next few days, but I did hit 1800 (though on a 1600 account, so think what you will). I forgot to save many replays, I only have 2.

The team:


I'm using Specs Blacephalon, Roost Defog Koko, SD Scizor, Defensive Helmet Lando, Scarf Keldeo, and Timid Kartana. I'll go over each Pokémon and then discuss how I usually went about playing.



Blacephalon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Mind Blown
- Shadow Ball
- Overheat
- Trick

This isn't a Pokémon that I usually use, mostly due to its speed tier and just how frail it is. After this whole experience, I feel like building around a Scarf set would have done a lot better, as this doesn't really have switch-ins outside of Tyranitar and special walls that aren't weak to Fire, which not many people run (usually it's AV Mag or AV Grass-type). I ended up going with a Specs set just to blow something up every time I sent this out.

Mind Blown is for nuking stuff - everything basically dies but you lose half your health. Shadow Ball is STAB, so it is needed as well. I chose Overheat on this set to nuke in case I didn't want to take half my health as damage, but I think Flamethrower and Fire Blast are both good options as well. For example, after Tricking Chansey, I could spam Flamethrower and hit whatever wants to switch in, instead of decreasing my SpAtk and having something be able to switch in for free. Trick is for crippling any special walls that would want to switch in on you, like Chansey, Mantine, Toxapex, though giving the latter two Specs Scald could cause problems later.



Tapu Koko @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Roost
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]

I chose Shuca Koko because I saw it in a video and wanted to try it. You can end up dealing a lot of damage to Landorus without dying and soften it up for Scizor or Kartana later. I have Defog and Roost on this set because I wanted a bit more longevity on this Pokémon, since it's the only Pokémon on my team that can easily break mons like Pex.



Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 64 Atk / 120 Def / 16 SpD / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off
- Roost

The reason why I chose this Pokémon was because I wanted a way to cripple Heatran for my Blacephalon. Heatran is the only OU Pokémon that can eat my nukes, and I had to predict (use Shadow Ball) if I wanted to deal with it switching in. Knock Off Scizor helps me get Heatran low for Blacephalon and makes sure it can't heal since its Lefties will be Knocked Off. Scizor is also an excellent late game sweeper and a good mid-ground switch for a lot of common Pokémon.



Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 236 HP / 220 Def / 36 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock

I chose Lando because I needed Stealth Rock to pressure Heatran, as well as a good physical wall. I chose Rocky Helmet over Leftovers because I wanted chip damage on Pokémon like Kartana and Lopunny so that Scizor has a better shot of sweeping late-game. Rocky Helmet also beats Sash Drill lead. This is just such a good physical wall for so many reasons, and I needed it on my team.



Keldeo @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Secret Sword
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Endeavor

I had no speed control other than Scizor's BP, so I needed a Scarfer. I chose Keldeo because I also had no Greninja switch-ins, and it can deal with Greninja this way. My last move is Endeavor instead of Stone Edge or some other move it can deal a lot of damage to Toxapex and other counters when it's low, opening up the way for Scizor or Kartana.



Kartana @ Grassium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 200 HP / 56 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 19 Atk
- Swords Dance
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off
- Leaf Blade

Timid Kartana is an excellent late-game sweeper if it can get an SD up, since it can accrue +Speed Beast Boosts and outspeed the entire enemy team. It is usually able to get an SD up because it is so much bulkier than normal and because it has 131 base Defense. I usually set up easily on Landorus or Ferrothorn since they can't really do anything to Kartana.

I chose Grassium Z because it gets the kill on Lando and Pex, but Darkinium Z also works for Zapdos, or Fightinium Z for Magearna and Scizor.

After-thoughts
This team is pretty weak to fat Pokémon with Fire-type coverage, like Celesteela, Venusaur, and Amoonguss, especially if Rocks are up. Only Blacephalon is capable of breaking these walls, and it becomes extremely difficult if the opponent has Pokémon that can deal with it. Hawlucha is a bit of a problem as well, so you need to keep Koko healthy in order to eat a +2 HJK (unless they run Poison Jab, so try to kill with Scizor). This team also doesn't really have a Keldeo switch-in.

Usually the game plan is to weaken opposing Heatran with Scizor, and then nuke with Blacephalon in order to sweep with Kart, Keld, or Scizor. If the opponent has TTar and switches in, Kartana gets to set up and sweep. Tapu Koko is very good for neutralizing some of the opponent's Pokémon, since it can just Roost up, but needs to be careful since it is the Hazard removal.

Here are my replays. I don't really know what happened in the first one, but in the second one the guy I was playing didn't realize I was Timid Kart and got salty cuz he can't read.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-690253366
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-690520991

Greetings, I decided to build this team about an hour ago, originally i decided to attempt to build bulky offense using koko + Blace however after realizing that it would be difficult to do so since these two are offensive by nature and have very little to offer defensively and would require extensive support , I decided to build a Heavy Offense build.
as a small disclaimer i do not ladder as much anymore ( still use it sometimes) so these replays may or may not be a bit lack luster and for that i deeply apologize. anyway on to the team:




Blacephalon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice] / [Grass]/Trick
- Shadow Ball
- Smack Down

Blacephelon is one of the mons that was required to be on every team so i planned at first to use sub CM Z-crystal, however upon realizing that any scarfer that i use will be frail do a degree and having two frail mons koko and blace was enough so i decided to make it scarf so that i can dent other offense teams. Fire blast is reletivaly standard as with a scarf it needs all of the power that it can get even though one would risk missing. HP-ice is here to net kills on boosted mons or mons that shadow ball or fire blast would otherwise not. Shadow ball is standard STAB. Smack down would at first look rather odd on a mon like blacephelon, however it 2HKOs volcarona/charizard Y or OHKOs with a little bit of prior damage. Trick can be used over Hidden power if bulky teams still give trouble. Hidden power grass is an option if Rain is to much of a problem.


Tapu Koko @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Atk
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Volt-switch
- Thunderbolt
- Defog

Next as with Blacephelon all participants were required to build with koko as well. i decided to go with a shuca berry set as i do not like playing the prediction game with choice specs especially if my opponent runs double ground (landorus-T + Zygarde) and pex. koko is also my main way of removing hawlucha from the game and my counter to bulky water type mons. Volt-switch is here for momentum,HP ice is to snipe Landorus-T and zygarde, and Defog was here because i could not fit it anywhere else.


Magearna @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon

The next thing i wanted was a way to check mons such as Ash-greninja and lele and i thought AV Magearna was a really good candidate as one can grab momontum via volt switch, snipe landorus-T, Garchomp, and zygarde on the switch with ice beam, beat fairies one vs. one with flash cannon, and roast ferrothorn and scizor with HP fire. Magearna also helps in the psy-spam matchup by walling Lele, Alakazam, and greninja.



Landorus-Therian @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Rock Slide/ Stone Edge

Landorus-T is an OU staple capable of providing almost anything one would need on a competitive team this landorus set is a standard suicide lead and anti-charizard Y/Volcarona lead meant to set up rocks and then explode or take one then eliminate one. Rock slide is my prefered chice of rock moves for the time being as one does not need stone edge to OHKO charizard Y or Volcarona and the accuracy can leave you very anxious and missing it on first turn zard Y is a very bad situation when rock slide just decimates it anyway.




Gyarados-Mega @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Dragon Dance

The next thing that i wanted was an out to Full Stall and gyarados i thought would be a great pick for Heavy Offense as well as one can send it out on the sableye, Mega evolve, and sub any attempts at will-o-wisp will fail afterwards gyarados just sets up and wins Substitute also has some other implications vs. other playstyles as well which is why i decided to forgo Taunt. Gyarados also decimates heatran and tanks anything from ash-greninja.


Zygarde @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Iron Tail
- Dragon Dance

The last mon i needed was something that could switch in on heatran and to an extent Tyranitar. Dragon dance Zygarde is a very potent set-up sweeper and with players tendency to use Landorus-T as the go to Zygarde counter i put weakness policy on zygarde in order to farm boosts in the face of lando when it inevitably uses HP ice which is often game over after 2 Dragon dances. Iron tail is to stop bulu something this team is weak to.

i will likely update this team a little more in the near future.


Closing thoughts:
The team from my point of view can be weak to tapu bulu as blacephelon and iron tail zygarde is the only real way of getting rid of it.
Kartana can be an issue if it is scarf if it is the case one would generally keep Magearna healthy if possible to throw off an hp Fire or get gyarados to +2 Attack +2 Speed then crunch will generally do it in,