ogres have layers

[Zeffy]

here's a mega sceptile team that i made for round 1 of archer's tour. many thanks to sri for giving me ideas and sets. anyway, i initially wanted this team to be balance but after the fwg core i added scolipede + bisharp and... yeah, i don't know where my thought process went. it became a spikes stacking team, which actually works ok. team looks okay-ish, lacks hazard removal though so i might opt to replace something with that. also lacking stealth rock, which might be a bigger problem than i make it out to be

->

Sceptile @ Sceptilite
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Dragon Pulse
- Focus Blast
- Giga Drain

initially i thought mega sceptile was pure Grass-type so i was kind of iffy using it, but then i discovered that it's half Dragon-type so that gave me some hope haha. this thing is pretty good once you've cleared away its checks. i might opt for HP fire > Focus Blast but i'm not sure whether the damage difference vs most steels is gonna bite me in the butt

Talonflame @ Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 196 HP / 252 SpD / 60 Spe
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Will-O-Wisp
- Brave Bird
- Roost

this is actually my first time using BU talonflame, probably because i don't use talonflame much. still haven't used it much but it's apparently a great check for faries if i clear rocks off the field. 60 speed EVs to outspeed stuff that i've listed down somewhere but i can't find. i think most notable is jolly excadrill? i might replace him with heatran if i can't be bothered to put a hazard remover on the team

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Ice]

keldeo has been a staple to many of my teams due to its sheer offensive presence. he also rounds up my fwg core nicely. as much as i want to replace him with starmie, keldeo provides a very useful role of stopping mega sableye, who pretty much destroys my chances of stacking spikes

Scolipede @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Endeavor
- Pin Missile / Megahorn

man this guy is a great spikes lead. it sets up 3 layers of spikes + 1 layer of toxic spikes with ease most of the time thanks to speed boost and defenses. not much else to say about him, really since he's pretty straightforward. pin missile is nice to bypass subs, but i don't really bother attacking anyway

Bisharp @ Black Glasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 52 SpD / 204 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit

bisharp pairs well with scolipede thanks to defiant. with it, i also have almost no problems against fairies, which is always nice. i went for pursuit trapper because it felt redundant to have swords dance in there

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

another staple in most of my teams, but with different sets. i went with choice scarf this time, but i might switch around to defensive / change it to something else.

and that's the team. synergy-wise, i think it's okay. i haven't done much battles with it, but i had good experience with it so far. then again, that was in mid-lower ladder so that might probably change soon.

comments / suggestions / violent reactions?

 

[srinator]

We have the option for violent reactions now? Nice!
But yeah I would definitely change the landorust set, you could either go with a suicide lead and use explosion with 180 speed ev's max attack and rest in hp, or the defensive set is p cool as well. Atleast that gives u rocks now.
I don't know how good it is, but I have been noticing talks about ass vest bisharp to deal with latis better, so you could look into that.
I am not sure how you could fit hazard removal in there, you could maybe try bulky spdef exca over talon, or use a spdef skarmory but I think Defog is a bit counter productive while spike stacking

 

[Zeffy]

We have the option for violent reactions now? Nice!

it's a free country :p

But yeah I would definitely change the landorust set, you could either go with a suicide lead and use explosion with 180 speed ev's max attack and rest in hp, or the defensive set is p cool as well. Atleast that gives u rocks now.

i'd rather not use a suicide lead, but yes i am planning on defensive lando-t. slow u-turns can help bring in mega sceptile better

I don't know how good it is, but I have been noticing talks about ass vest bisharp to deal with latis better, so you could look into that.

yeah i've heard about it as well. i might play around with it when i get the time

I am not sure how you could fit hazard removal in there, you could maybe try bulky spdef exca over talon, or use a spdef skarmory but I think Defog is a bit counter productive while spike stacking

removing talonflame for a spinner/defogger would be futile, seeing as talonflame is the only pokemon that minds stealth rock :p like i've said, i might just replace talonflame altogether, preferably another Fire-type like Heatran to keep the FWG core. if i do replace it with Heatran, then I might go defensive on Landorus-T

 

[Anti]

Run Timid on Sceptile. Hasty is -Def and you aren't mixed. Run Icy Wind on Keldeo to 2HKO Lati@s on the switch, and the Speed drop makes it a little less dangerous to get locked into. I am unsure what Pokemon's Substitutes Pin Missile is breaking? Megahorn makes a lot more sense.

Anyway, the team is definitely intriguing, but you definitely need Stealth Rock. You can change Landorus-T's set, as sri suggested, though it might just be easier to replace that Scolipede. That set is *very* specialized and that team slot might be more efficiently used for some hazard control so that Talonflame isn't too pressured, especially in match-ups against Pokemon like Mega Scizor and Mega Sableye.

 

[Zeffy]

Run Timid on Sceptile. Hasty is -Def and you aren't mixed. Run Icy Wind on Keldeo to 2HKO Lati@s on the switch, and the Speed drop makes it a little less dangerous to get locked into. I am unsure what Pokemon's Substitutes Pin Missile is breaking? Megahorn makes a lot more sense.

oh wow i didn't even notice sceptile had hasty @_@ i made this team at like 3am and had a lot of mistakes that i removed when i woke up, and i probably missed that one. also re: pin missile, i am unsure since in all of the times i've battled with this team, i never bothered to attack. i had megahorn initially but i thought it'd be cool to try out pin missile

Anyway, the team is definitely intriguing, but you definitely need Stealth Rock. You can change Landorus-T's set, as sri suggested, though it might just be easier to replace that Scolipede. That set is *very* specialized and that team slot might be more efficiently used for some hazard control so that Talonflame isn't too pressured, especially in match-ups against Pokemon like Mega Scizor and Mega Sableye.

i'd really like to keep scolipede rather than going with a different route, but i'll keep this in mind. i need a couple more battles to convince me :p

 

[Dark Azelf]

Could you just not use Crustle > Scoliopede? This way you get guaranteed layers (Mental Herb + Sturdy) and get to slot in rocks on your team at the cost of Toxic Spikes, however you still maintain Spikes. It also threatens all hazard removers by hitting them with SE damage or can at least cripple them with Knock Off. If you use Heatran or put rocks on something else you can even go with Shell Smash/Spikes/Knock/Stone Edge

Also i dont like Bulk Up Talonflame, it just doesnt seem to do enough damage. I much prefer SD over it on that set, it lets you break through Heatran and Lando much better and other bulkier mons.

 

[srinator]

Heatran tends to run stone edge now a days, so be careful

 

[Somewhere_]

Is this an HO team? If not, it lacks a good defensive mon. I would replace talon flame with heat ran because you have less of a SR weakness and stealth rocks. In addition, you already have enough strong physical attackers.

 

[skyburial]

I'd consider running HP Ground over Focus Blast on Mega Sceptile because it smacks Heatran and Megagross. HP Fire would let you hit Togekiss but that's not really a prominent threat in OU iirc.

 

[srinator]

I'd consider running HP Ground over Focus Blast on Mega Sceptile because it smacks Heatran and Megagross. HP Fire would let you hit Togekiss but that's not really a prominent threat in OU iirc.

0 Atk Mega Sceptile Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 296-352 (76.6 - 91.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
(296, 300, 304, 308, 312, 316, 320, 320, 324, 328, 332, 336, 340, 344, 348, 352)
252 SpA Mega Sceptile Hidden Power Ground vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 200-236 (64.8 - 72.1%) -- guaranteed chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
(200, 200, 204, 204, 208, 212, 212, 216, 216, 220, 224, 224, 228, 228, 232, 236)

Eq is better since spdef heatrans exist.