DPP OU first team, all advice welcome!!!!

[LonelyBarstool]

A few weeks ago my friend introduced me into the world of competitive pokemon because I was getting tired of regularly playing. Ive spent a lot of time on smogon, serebii and other such forums along with youtube and have gotten somewhat of a grasp on what it takes to compete in the metagame. I havent gotten much experience with my team so far, and the few battles Ive fought I couldnt really tell if there was something that needed to be fixed or replaced. Id like all advice on what to change before I build this team in the real game. Here's the lineup.

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Ambipom @ life orb
Technician
Evs: 252atk 252spe 4hp
Adamant
-Fake-out
-Taunt
-U turn
-Pursuit/low kick

I know that ambipom is a fairly predictable lead and not super popular in OU, but I really like his ability to scout and Ive noticed that if you throw in low-kick or pursuit you can catch an opponent off gaurd, who thinks theyve walled you. Obviously I sart off with fake-out then go for the taunt to prevent stealth rocks for a few turns and finally u-turn out to a more suitable pokemon.

;134;

Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Water Absorb
Evs: 252hp 130def 126spD
Bold
-Wish
-Protect
-Toxic
-Surf

I decided I needed a wish passer to help keep my team alive, and i didnt really like Blissey because i'd like to have some resistances i could switch in to. Its a pretty basic moveset that involves wish protecting and toxic to cripple pokemon for later sweeps. Surf is my STAB move that can keep a few pokemon in check.

;260;

Swampert @ leftovers
Torrent
EVs: 252hp 252spD 4def
Relaxed
-Stealth Rock
-Roar
-Ice Beam
-Earthquake

Swampert would be the ideal pokemon for my ambipom to switch into so that I could set up stealth rock and deal out some damage with STAB earthquake and Ice Beam to cover weaknesses. Roar is to get stealth rocks going by switching the opponents pokemon out if its not what you want.

;149;

Dragonite @ Life Orb
Inner Focus
EVs: 252atk 252spe 4hp
Adamant
-Dragon Dance
-Dragon Claw
-Earthquake
-Fire punch

This is my special sweeper. He runs a pretty normal set, dragon dance to raise stats the sweep with the wide moveset. Dragon Claw is STAB and not many pokemon resist dragon type moves. Earthquake is to get rid of the steels that do resist dragon claw and fire puch takes care of grass pokemon that try to take out swampert and Vaporeon.

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Magnezone @ Life Orb
Magnet Pull
EVs: 252spA 252spe 4hp
Rash
-Substitute
-Magnet Rise
-Thunderbolt
-Explosion

Magnezone is a check to many of dragonites weaknesses. He can switch in on any steel and trap them and set up with substitute and magnet rise (to prevent EQ) then deal some damage with STAB thunderbolt and possibly explode when threatened.

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Scizor @ Life Orb
Technician
Evs: 252atk 252spe 4hp
Adamant
-Bullet Punch
-Roost
-Swords Dance
-Brick Break

Scizor is my physical sweeper with his amazing atk and many resistances. Bullet punch is STAB and technician plus priority, all very good things. Brick Break takes care of many pokemon. Roost can keep this guy alive longer and swords dance... well thats for the sweep ;)

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Please tell me what changes to make. One option I was debating was changing magnezone for a starmie spinner seeing as my two sweepers are hindered by stealth rocks, but Im not sure if having that much weakness to grass is ok. All advice and critisiscim is appreciated!

Sorry for the random numbers, they were supposed to be pictures of the pokemon, but it apparently didnt work...

sorry about the weird numbers and colons. They were supposed to be pictures but I'm pretty sure I messed up...

 

[PlatinumDude]

Having both Swampert and Vaporeon together is kinda redundant don't you think? Try out Blissey:
-Wish
-Protect/Softboiled
-Seismic Toss/Flamethrower
-Toxic/Thunder Wave
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure

And with that, half your team is vulnerable to Fighting opponents. Try out Gengar:
-Substitute
-Pain Split/Hidden Power (Fire)/Thunderbolt
-Shadow Ball
-Focus Blast
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Black Sludge

 

[Jake♫]

Quick thing, right now DD Gyarados just absolutely wrecks you. Standard DD/Waterfall/Stone Edge/Earthquake or even Sub/DD/Watefall/Bounce sets kill you because you literally have no answer to it. It can DD on Scizor/Dragonite/Ambipom/Vaporeon easily, proceed to set-up and sweep. Simple solution (since you're using one of Gyara's best counters anyways) is to use HP Electric over Toxic on Vaporeon. Gyara can't KO it one hit (even at +1), but HP Electric will maim it.

 

[LonelyBarstool]

Quick thing, right now DD Gyarados just absolutely wrecks you. Standard DD/Waterfall/Stone Edge/Earthquake or even Sub/DD/Watefall/Bounce sets kill you because you literally have no answer to it. It can DD on Scizor/Dragonite/Ambipom/Vaporeon easily, proceed to set-up and sweep. Simple solution (since you're using one of Gyara's best counters anyways) is to use HP Electric over Toxic on Vaporeon. Gyara can't KO it one hit (even at +1), but HP Electric will maim it.

Thank you for the advice, however I'm a little confused on how HP works. I know it's based on IVs but since theres no way to determine what IVs your pokemon has how would you end up getting it in the actual game? Lots of trial and error?

Having both Swampert and Vaporeon together is kinda redundant don't you think? Try out Blissey:
-Wish
-Protect/Softboiled
-Seismic Toss/Flamethrower
-Toxic/Thunder Wave
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure

And with that, half your team is vulnerable to Fighting opponents. Try out Gengar:
-Substitute
-Pain Split/Hidden Power (Fire)/Thunderbolt
-Shadow Ball
-Focus Blast
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Black Sludge

Im not quite sure what you mean by redundant? Are meaning becuase theyre same type? My reasoning was that Swampert is immune to electric and his moveset would set him off from any other water types.

 

[Jake♫]

It's redundant to have two bulky water types as they usually do the same role on a team, so have two doesn't make sense, and it's a waste of a slot.

In-game the best way to figure out IVs is leveling up a Pokemon to level 50 (or 100 if you want to be perfectly accurate), and plugging it's stats into an IV calculator. Most people now also do RNG breeding, fooling the number generator of the game to spit out Pokemon with either perfect or HP specific IVs. People in the Trade Corner actually do it for free nowadays, so if you're worried about that you can head over there!

 

[LonelyBarstool]

It's redundant to have two bulky water types as they usually do the same role on a team, so have two doesn't make sense, and it's a waste of a slot.

In-game the best way to figure out IVs is leveling up a Pokemon to level 50 (or 100 if you want to be perfectly accurate), and plugging it's stats into an IV calculator. Most people now also do RNG breeding, fooling the number generator of the game to spit out Pokemon with either perfect or HP specific IVs. People in the Trade Corner actually do it for free nowadays, so if you're worried about that you can head over there!

Thank you very much! Should I switch out swampert for a different tank/ stealth rock user? or should I take up Platinums advice and switch him for a gengar?

 

[Jake♫]

Thank you very much! Should I switch out swampert for a different tank/ stealth rock user? or should I take up Platinums advice and switch him for a gengar?

I'd definitely switch Swampert to Gengar (And I'd personally use Sub/Pain Split/Shadow Ball/Focus Blast @Life Orb, as you already have Scizor decently covered, and can use Pain Split to recover the Sub and Life Orb recoil), but I'd also like to switch Ambipom out, as you really need a Stealth Rock user. I'd personally use Metagross, as it handles most leads quite nicely (Excluding Heatran, but with an Occa Berry you live to set up rocks regardless), and come back in later to do some damage and/or explode.

Metagross @ Occa Berry
Clear Body
Adamant Nature
252 Atk/252 HP/4 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Meteor Mash
- Bullet Punch
- Explosion

 

[LonelyBarstool]

I'd definitely switch Swampert to Gengar (And I'd personally use Sub/Pain Split/Shadow Ball/Focus Blast @Life Orb, as you already have Scizor decently covered, and can use Pain Split to recover the Sub and Life Orb recoil), but I'd also like to switch Ambipom out, as you really need a Stealth Rock user. I'd personally use Metagross, as it handles most leads quite nicely (Excluding Heatran, but with an Occa Berry you live to set up rocks regardless), and come back in later to do some damage and/or explode.

Metagross @ Occa Berry
Clear Body
Adamant Nature
252 Atk/252 HP/4 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Meteor Mash
- Bullet Punch
- Explosion

Thank you, ill probably do the gengar and metagross switch. Main reason I was using the ambipom was becuase its my favorite pokemon and I was excited to see it was somewhat useful. I guess Its more breeding for me! :) Also on the metagross moveset wouldnt that provide a lack of variety having two steel type moves?

 

[Jake♫]

You can run Earthquake over Meteor Mash if you would like as coverage, but Meteor Mash is there to act as a solid STAB move while Bullet Punch is meant to just be a priority move to finish off something low and health that's frail. It's not supposed to be a large offensive presence, but both move choices are viable!

 

[LonelyBarstool]

You can run Earthquake over Meteor Mash if you would like as coverage, but Meteor Mash is there to act as a solid STAB move while Bullet Punch is meant to just be a priority move to finish off something low and health that's frail. It's not supposed to be a large offensive presence, but both move choices are viable!

Alright thank you for all your help! Im off to the trade corner to try to get a HP electric evee

 

[Murt93]

I second the suggestions above as its already been explained 2 waters is redundant :/
just a suggestion but I would replace EQ with roost on dragonite because as far as I know the only pokemon that resists dragon and fire is heatran? but if you plan on switching ambipom for metagross thats 3 weaknesses to heatran incl scizor and magnezone so it might be a good idea to keep earthquake then but its not going to live very long with stealth rocks and life orb recoil also why brick break on scizor and not superpower? I personally think you would be better off with a choice banded scizor rather than a life orbed one because you dont have a spinner and if your swapping ambipom you also lose taunt just sayin :/ and just on the topic of hidden power depending on what game your playing theres a hidden move checker in b/w and b2/w2 who can tell you what type of hidden power a pokemon has but it would be much easier to get one bred for you I was extremelly dissapointed when I finally got a latios with near perfect Ivs that had hidden power water :L

 

[LonelyBarstool]

I second the suggestions above as its already been explained 2 waters is redundant :/
just a suggestion but I would replace EQ with roost on dragonite because as far as I know the only pokemon that resists dragon and fire is heatran? but if you plan on switching ambipom for metagross thats 3 weaknesses to heatran incl scizor and magnezone so it might be a good idea to keep earthquake then but its not going to live very long with stealth rocks and life orb recoil also why brick break on scizor and not superpower? I personally think you would be better off with a choice banded scizor rather than a life orbed one because you dont have a spinner and if your swapping ambipom you also lose taunt just sayin :/ and just on the topic of hidden power depending on what game your playing theres a hidden move checker in b/w and b2/w2 who can tell you what type of hidden power a pokemon has but it would be much easier to get one bred for you I was extremelly dissapointed when I finally got a latios with near perfect Ivs that had hidden power water :L

I wil change the dragonite moveset, thank you for pointing that out. I was thinking of replacing megnezone with either forretress or starmie, but Im not sure if thats a good idea. Also are there any other good spinners besides those two?