SM OU Mega Zam team that probably should drop Mega Zam (1618 peak)

Hi folks,

Threw this team together a few days ago because I really wanted to play around with Mega Alakazam. My basic thought process was "let's just put 5 good mons with it and go from there." I got as high as 1618, but haven't been above 1600 since. My own critiques of my team so far are No Z Move and Mega Alakazam, the reason for making the team, seems to be the weakest link.

It was fun while it lasted, though, and I thought I'd share for other Mega Zam fans since it's at least workable. Also open to any suggestions to team. Anyway, here's the team:


Alakazam @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Substitute

Like I said above, a desire to use Mega Alakazam was my motivation to start this team. This is just the basic max/max EV spread. I've tried dazzling gleam over focus blast some, but as much as I hate it, the latter has many more chances to be useful. I also went for substitute over taunt for personal preference, but also because I feel like subbing on a move that breaks it is a lot less risky than taunting a mon that can also hit very hard (e.g., if out against tangrowth, subbing on a predicted leech seed but getting knocked off is safer than taunting on a predicted leech seed and getting whacked).


Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn

What can be said about Lando that hasn't been said already? Since I usually lean towards offensive teams that force switches, I wanted a stealth rocker with a pivot. The EV spread, to quote smogon, "allow(s) Landorus-T to outspeed everything up to maximum Speed Adamant Tyranitar" - I'm not sure if that is important or not anymore, tbh. The original 24 Sp Def EVs on the smogon page were to survive a draco from life orb latios, which isn't really a thing anymore, so I tossed them back into defense to screw with Zygarde just that much more.


Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness
- Moonblast
- Defog

I forget to put a spinner or defogger on like, 80% of my teams when I first make them, so I wanted to avoid that this time and threw Tapu Fini on as my third mon. "Maximum HP investment is optimal for overall bulk, while maximum Speed with a Timid nature outspeeds Adamant Landorus-T and Adamant Zygarde" says Smogon. I originally tried it lower speed, but really love the faster taunt, especially since I opted out of taunt on Mega Alakazam. Since I already have defensive Lando-T, also felt I didn't want a second slow defensive mon, and the speed helps with momentum.


Zygarde @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 160 HP / 216 Atk / 28 SpD / 104 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance
- Coil

Your friend, your lover, your ex fiance, your mailman. I wanted a bulky hitter that could set up and be win con, but also just drop a hit here or there, force switches, and be a general annoyance. "104 Speed EVs ensure that Zygarde outpaces Timid Magearna... It also conveniently beats Greninja at +1. 160 HP... allow Zygarde to survive Choice Scarf Garchomp's Outrage. 28 Special Defense EVs allow Zygarde to survive Choice Scarf Tapu Lele's Moonblast and two Moonblasts from Tapu Fini, both after Stealth Rock. The remaining 216 EVs are placed into Attack to give Zygarde as much power as it can away with."


Greninja (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Spikes
- Hydro Pump
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam

Probably my favorite greninja set right now. Fairly stable lead, can force switches with its coverage and use that opportunity to set up spikes, punishing future switches. Extrasensory can be run instead of one of the others for toxapex, but like, the team already has M-Zam, zygarde, and lando-T... HP Fire isn't an awful choice, but if ferro is sent out, I want to switch to tapu fini anyway to negate status and taunt.


Magearna @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Volt Switch
- Ice Beam

Magearna completes this kinda haphazard dragon/fairy/steel core, soaks a good bit of damage from hard hitting special mons such as greninja, and provides a second slow pivot with pseudo boltbeam coverage. Fleur Cannon can be run over aura sphere, but anything it hits is going to outspeed you, and often times (garchomp, zygarde) ice beam is just as good if you're predicting a switch.

Importable:
Alakazam @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Substitute

Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness
- Moonblast
- Defog

Zygarde @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 160 HP / 216 Atk / 28 SpD / 104 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance
- Coil

Greninja (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Spikes
- Hydro Pump
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam

Magearna @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Volt Switch
- Ice Beam
Couple random replays (including one against stall I really like)
 
The biggest flaw in the team is that it doesn't seem to have a general "theme". Most teams are built around a core that will be based around the synergy between two mons.

I believe the reason you find Mega-Alakazam so underwhelming is that your team does not do the most to make it shine.

For example, a very popular core with M-Alakazam and Tapu Lele. Tapu Lele psychic terrain protects Zam from priority, which makes it impossible to stop unless you have your own terrain setter or a scarfer, as well as providing even more power to its psychic attacks. This allows both of them to work together to overwhelm something that may wall both mons if they were alone. Zam also fucks with Rain and sand rush teams that would make Lele struggle.

After choosing a core to build around, you then add pokemon that can patch up weaknesses to the core or support it in other ways. For example, Focus Sash dugtrio could be used as a partner to prevent Alolan-Muk or TTar from pursuit trapping.
 

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