Mega Mawile Gyarados RMT

[Paranormal Zaktivity]

Hey guys, I've been battling XY OU on Showdown and over WiFi with some friends for sometime now, and this has been one of my most successful teams so far, peaking around 1589 points on Showdown. I've tried most of the Mega Evolutions allowed in OU, and Mega Mawile is easily one of my favourites. So I wanted to make a team based around her mix of raw power and good defensive type. This is my attempt at a balanced team, and I hope to improve it to be the best it can be.
Onto the teambuilding:

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Mega Mawile, my team's star attraction. Definitely one of my favourite mega evolutions. She has amazing power, applying great offensive pressure on the opponent. Her defensive typing is also great, and along with Intimidate, allows her to switch into many physically offensive pokemon. I wanted to run the SubPunch, for the ability to punish switches, and Substitute stopping status, which is most teams way to deal with MMawile.

With MMawile, I needed something that could easily take her weaknesses, Fire and Ground types. Gyarados was immune to Ground and resisted Fire, so he was the perfect partner for MMawile. And along with Intimidate, Gyarados + Mawile before Mega Evolution made a good Intimidate core. I decided to run a Choice Band set to have immediate pressure on the opponent, and I don't need Gyarados as a sweeper.

With my Intimidate core sorted, I noticed they were both vulnerable to being burned. With Rotom-W being the most common user of Will-o-wisp, I wanted to run Choice Scarf Excadrill to counter it. With Choice Scarf and Mold Breaker, Excadrill would work as my counter to Rotom-W/H and Birdspam teams. It is also my only way of removing hazards.

I really wanted to use Assault Vest Tyranitar on my team, and it works surprisingly well on this one. With Assault Vest and max special defense, Tyranitar has a special defense stat that rivals Blissey, and he can survive most non-STAB Focus Blasts. He acts as my special tank, and applies offensive pressure on the opponents fire types, even without investment. He's the perfect counter the Megazard Y and sun teams. My favourite Pokemon on the team, along with MMawile.

Amoongus acts as my defensive pivot, and my usual switch into Rotom-W. I use a physically bulky spread to help deal with the Fighting type attacks Tyranitar can't take. He also works as my status absorber, being immune to sleep and toxic. He works as a great pivot, with Regenerator and Black Sludge for recovery.

Talonflame makes a great Bulk Up user, with a strong priority attack and recovery in the form of Brave Bird and Roost respectively. I saw the power of Bulk up Talonflame in an online battle, so I wanted to try one out for myself. And he has not disappointed at all. With Bulk Up and Taunt, he is able to tank and set up on his usual counters such as Heatran and Gliscor, and can easily beat opposing MMawiles 1v1. He's usually my win condition, and easily my heaviest lifter on the team.



Onto the team:

Mawile @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough

MMawile is the definition of true power. I use the SubPunch set for its instant power, and punishment for switches. With a Substitiute up, MMawile can beat most of it's usual counters 1v1, and stops those annoying burns. Max Attack with an Adamant nature is for as much power as possible, and 252 HP is for the largest subs as possible and increasing overall bulk. 4 SpD is to help on the special side.

Gyarados @ Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Waterfall
- Ice Fang
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Gyarados synergises well with Mawile, together they form my Intimidate core. I'm running a Choice Band set for the power on turn 1, and smash holes in their defenses. His moves are to cover as much as possible, with the EdgeQuake and Ground + Ice combos, and Waterfall for STAB. 168 Spe is to outspeed Adamant Breloom and other base 70's, max Attack with Adamant is for maximum power, and the rest into HP for better bulk.

Excadrill @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin

Choice Scarf Excadrill is an amazing revenge killer, and with Mold Breaker, can beat Rotom-W/H, Talonflame and Mega Pinsir 1v1. EdgeQuake combo for coverage, Iron Head for STAB and to beat Fairies, and Rapid Spin is my only form of removing hazards. Rapid Spin with Choice Scarf might not seem like the best idea, but I have only needed to use it if Talonflame won't be able to tank a hit at half health before it can Roost or when it switches in. 252 Attack and Adamant nature is a guaranteed OHKO on Mega Manetric after Intimidate, while Jolly has a chance of not finshing it. 252 Spe is to be as fast as possible.

Tyranitar @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast

Assault Vest Tyranitar. A better special tank than Goodra, and a true beast in OU. He's a perfect counter to Megazard Y, and can tank most special attacks without breaking a sweat. Crunch is for the obvious STAB, with it getting a buff offensively this gen. EdgeQuake for obvious covrage, and Fire Blast is to beat the Steel types that are either neutral or immune to Earthquake (Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Forretress, Scizor, etc.). I run Stone Edge over Rock Slide because its more powerful, and Tyranitar can usually live one hit if it misses. 248 HP and 252 SpD are to max his ability to tank special attacks, while taking less Stealth Rock damage than 252 HP. 8 Atk is for more power, and a Sassy nature is chosen to not lower Fire Blast's power.

Amoonguss @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Clear Smog
- Foul Play

Amoongus is my defensive pivot, allowing me to get my hard hitters in safely. He is my usual switch in against status, because burn and paralysis don't restrict him too much, and he's immune to sleep and poison. He's a good counter to Rotom-W, resisting both his STABs and Regenerator to heal it off. Nothing out of the normal with his moveset, Spore to put a potential Talonflame counter to sleep, Giga Drain for recovery and to hit Rotom-W super effectively. Clear Smog is to stop Pokemon that try to set up on him, and Foul Play is to beat physical glass cannons that Amoongus can wall. 252 HP and 252 Def with a Bold nature is to help him take physical attacks better, and the Fighting types Tyranitar can't handle. 4 SpA is for more damage on Rotom-W, and Black Sludge and Regenerator is for recovery.

Talonflame @ Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Brave Bird
- Bulk Up
- Taunt
- Roost

Bulk Up Talonflame is a great set up sweeper, able to stop and set up on his usual counters. With well timed Roosts, Talonflame can stall out the PP of Tyranitar's Stone Edge at +1. Brave Bird is the obvious attack on this set, having priority and a nice base power. Bulk Up is the obvious boosting move, making Talonflame difficult to revenge kill and more for survivability. Taunt is so that Talonflame can set up on opposing walls, stops MMawile from setting up Substitiute or Sword Dance, and Gliscor from using Toxic. Roost is for priority recovery, and if used at the right time, can help save his sweep and recover the Brave Bird recoil. Talonflame is definitely the teams MVP, taking many teams by surprise.


So that's my team. Please feel free to comment, criticize and suggest changes, the team is open to all suggestions. I would like to keep Assault Vest Tyranitar on the team, but if its the weakest link, suggestions for changes are welcome.
All suggests are welcome to my Showdown team, but for Wifi battles with my friends, I'd rather stay clear of legendaries, as they don't like to use them. And also they don't ban Aegislash, so would he be a good addition to my team? And what set works best?

Also, all EV sets are for level 100. What changes would I make to the sets to maximise them for level 50 Wifi battles? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for reading my team, and feel free to use it, either all of it or just a particular set :)

 

[PlatinumDude]

Mega Mawile needs 84 Speed EVs to outspeed uninvested base 60s, mainly Clefable. You wouldn't want Mawile to get hit by a Flamethrower from it before it Subs down, right?

Choice Band Gyarados was good in Gen V, due to the eternal rain Politoed brought. However, now that Drizzle got nerfed to 5-8 turns, Choice Gyarados isn't really that useful, since Waterfall doesn't have the best base power for a STAB move. Dragon Dance Gyarados for the power and Speed (since Gyarados can force switches to find a free turn for Dragon Dance), or defensive Gyarados (to capitalize on Intimidate), is still better.:
-Dragon Dance
-Waterfall/Aqua Tail
-Bounce
-Stone Edge
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Lum Berry

or
-Waterfall
-Thunder Wave/Dragon Tail/Roar
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
Nature: Careful
EVs: 248 HP/8 Def/252 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate

or
-Dragon Dance
-Waterfall
-Bounce
-Substitute/Taunt
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 88 HP/192 Atk/4 Def/224 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate

 

[Dark Azelf]

Ugh scarf Excadrill is absolute garbage, its seriously assssss from first hand experience its really is so very weak, girly, easy to exploit stab moves.

Use Sand Rush Exca, you're faster in sand anyway, have freedom to switch moves so dont totally suck. You can also run SD with spin if you desire.


Also Excadrill or Tar want Stealth Rock, not using it is putting yourself at a disadvantage.

 

[Paranormal Zaktivity]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Thanks for that, I wasn't really sure what speed tier MMawile should be hitting.

I might go for more the bulky DD set on Gyarados, because the teams more balanced than offensive. Thanks PlatniumDude.

Dark Azelf, from personal experience, I prefer Mold Breaker on Excadrill simply because it destroys Rotom-W. I use him to take out specific threats, and not as a sweeper. And I can't always keep sandstorm in affect for Sand Rush to be really worth it. Thanks for the advice though :)

 

[Anti]

Well, you might want to think about replacements for Mega Mawile since it's probably going to get banned soon. (It would be pretty surprising if the vote went OU.) What you want to run is up to you since the other mons are more support-oriented.

Anyway, this team is puzzling me. Something seems off but I can't really put my finger on it. You'll want to run DD Gyarados instead of CB, as has been said. I would only run Choice items when absolutely necessary since they yield so many free turns to opponents.

I would watch out for stall with a Mega Venusaur/Unaware Quagsire combination as you really can't break it very well if it's well played. I feel like the key to changing that lies in the Tar/Exca combo but they're pretty useful for offense as well as Rotom-W. You need to get Stealth Rock onto one of those pokes somehow though because you're really limiting your damage output and opposing Talonflame and Mega Pinsir, while held in check from sweeping by RKs, can do serious damage breaking. You need to wear them down.

Good to see BU Talon though, guy's a boss.

 

[Paranormal Zaktivity]

Thanks for your advice, and yeah I'll be sad to see Mega Mawile leave OU.

I do see I lack Stealth rock, and you suggested putting it on Excardill or Tyranitar, what about changing some of the Pokemon on my team? The only Pokemon I'd really like to stay are Assault Vest Tyranitar and BU Talonflame.
I've wanted to use Ferrothorn, but he's just too slow and not offensive enough for the team.

Thanks again :)