My General Strategy:
My team:
Bronzong @ Lum Berry
Ability: Heatproof
EVs: 252 HP/128 Atk/128 SDef
Sassy nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Gyro Ball
- Hypnosis
- Explosion
- Stealth Rock
---
I open with bronzong. If my opponent uses a fast starter, I will gyro ball him (and explode if necessary). Slow starter will sometimes force a switch unless explosion is a OHKO (in which case, I normally take it). Stealth Rocks and Hypnosis are only secondary goals (played usually later in the game if saved, or used after gyro ball has killed my opponents starter)
Hippowdon (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Def
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
---
My physical wall. Comes into play after bronzong has exploded to lay stealth rocks and against physical threats. Can normally absorb physical attacks, kill the opponent with earthquake and ice fang, and then slack off back to full health
Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 44 HP/252 Atk/212 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Spore
- Seed Bomb
---
Used primarily early in the battle to scout my opponents team. Spore, sub, and then focus punch (or seed bomb). This scenario usually forces several switches allowing me to see my opponents team. I will usually switch in another pokemon before he is harmed to save him for later use
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Extremespeed
- Crunch
---
My physical sweeper. Usually saved for end game where I sword dance and then sweep (after hopefully using my other pokemon to eliminate all threats). I am considering replacing him with another physical sweeper that will better compliment the strengths and weaknesses of my team.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 126 HP/252 Spd/132 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
---
My special sweeper. Can switch in on many threats (especially ones who status) and then attack or recover. I added extra speed ev's from the standard to make sure I outspeed my opponents starmie when that scenario arises.
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def/40 SAtk/216 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Softboiled
- Ice Beam
- Thunder Wave
- Seismic Toss
---
My standard special wall. Used to stall and status my opponent. Forces switches to reveal my opponents team, and makes a great pair with hippowdon scout and stall my opponents team giving me time to set up myself.
- 80% of battles start with me gyro balling and exploding to kill my opponents starter (or first couple of pokemon). If it is a slow starter who wont die with an explosion, I will switch out to the most appropriate counter. I will also try to lay down stealth rocks if possible, but that isn't my main objective
- If stealth rocks have not been laid, I have usually just exploded so I switch in hippowdon who can take hits from most pokemon. He will usually lay down stealth rocks, and either switch out or take care of the opponents pokemon.
- From here I will either switch in breloom to scout my opponents team (using spore, then sub, and finally focus punch). This usually forces several switches revealing my opponents team. In other scenarios, I will also switch in my physical sweeper lucarion, special sweeper starmie, or special wall blissey to handle immediate threats.
- From here I will then use my sweepers (physical: lucario, special: starmie) and my walls (physical: hippowdon, special: blissey) to finish off my opponents team.
- I took 6 months off from pokemon. Last time I was here, garchomp and deoxys-s were a part of every OU team, there were no other rotom forms, and no one had heared of scizor. Things are very different now, and I have tried to build a team to adress this issue, but I am still learning how to adapt to the new metagame.
- I feel that starmie is no longer my best option as a special sweeper as I very rarely use rapid spin. Because of this, I am very likely to replace it.
- On this same note, I used to use lucario to compliment garchomp as a pair of physical sweepers. However, I think lucario has too many weaknesses to be a primary physical sweeper and am currently figuring out how I will replace him.
- My team has a huge weakness to skarmory
- I have 0 fire moves
My team:
Bronzong @ Lum Berry
Ability: Heatproof
EVs: 252 HP/128 Atk/128 SDef
Sassy nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Gyro Ball
- Hypnosis
- Explosion
- Stealth Rock
---
I open with bronzong. If my opponent uses a fast starter, I will gyro ball him (and explode if necessary). Slow starter will sometimes force a switch unless explosion is a OHKO (in which case, I normally take it). Stealth Rocks and Hypnosis are only secondary goals (played usually later in the game if saved, or used after gyro ball has killed my opponents starter)
Hippowdon (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Def
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
---
My physical wall. Comes into play after bronzong has exploded to lay stealth rocks and against physical threats. Can normally absorb physical attacks, kill the opponent with earthquake and ice fang, and then slack off back to full health
Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 44 HP/252 Atk/212 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Spore
- Seed Bomb
---
Used primarily early in the battle to scout my opponents team. Spore, sub, and then focus punch (or seed bomb). This scenario usually forces several switches allowing me to see my opponents team. I will usually switch in another pokemon before he is harmed to save him for later use
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Extremespeed
- Crunch
---
My physical sweeper. Usually saved for end game where I sword dance and then sweep (after hopefully using my other pokemon to eliminate all threats). I am considering replacing him with another physical sweeper that will better compliment the strengths and weaknesses of my team.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 126 HP/252 Spd/132 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
---
My special sweeper. Can switch in on many threats (especially ones who status) and then attack or recover. I added extra speed ev's from the standard to make sure I outspeed my opponents starmie when that scenario arises.
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def/40 SAtk/216 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Softboiled
- Ice Beam
- Thunder Wave
- Seismic Toss
---
My standard special wall. Used to stall and status my opponent. Forces switches to reveal my opponents team, and makes a great pair with hippowdon scout and stall my opponents team giving me time to set up myself.
Threat List:
Tyranitar: Hippowdon can absorb his attacks and kill with EQ (after which he can slack off back to health). Starmie and Lucario can also counter him, but with great harm to themselves
Gyarados: Bronzong kills gyarados starters. Starmie takes care of them later
Infernape: I normally have to sacrifice much of starmie's health to take care of these. This is an issue
Azelf: Bronzong kills azelf starters. Lucario and Blissey can take care of them later on
Electivire: Would have to sacrifice much of lucario's health to take care of this unless I had saved bronzong to face it. This is an issue
Heracross: Hippowdon can usually absorb its attacks and ko, although a fire attack on another pokemon would be helpful
Salamence: Hippowdon can absorb its attacks and then ice fang it. Other options include starmie and bronzong (if saved)
Togekiss: Usually becomes a stall fest with blissey unless I can get a very lucky switch in with starmie, breloom, or lucario. This is a minor issue
Gengar: Killed by bronzong at the start. Other times, blissey or lucario can take care of it
Lucario: Hippowdon can absorb its attacks and KO it.
Starmie: Blissey can stall it out, or my starmie can usually kill it due to its extra speed ev's.
Weavile: Best bet is a saved bronzong. Otherwise I will have to sacrifice pokemon to kill it. This is a major problem
Dugtrio: Hippowdon can normally take care of this. Starmie can too but at much greater risk
Porygon-Z: Use blissey to take care of it, or hope it doesn't have ice beam and switch in breloom
Machamp: Hippowdon takes care of this
Snorlax: Either use hippowdon or breloom to take care of him depending on the scenario
Zapdos: Usually take care of with blissey, although this does sometimes give me trouble. This is a minor problem
Suicune: Starmie and Blissey should be able to handle this
Breloom: Breloom gives me lots of trouble (hence why I added one). This is a major problem
Ninjask: Kill with bronzong and explode on BP. Fire attack on a fast pokemon would help here. This is a minor problem
Metagross: Hippowdon can absorb its attacks and kill
Heatran: Hippowdon, Blissey, and Starmie can all handle it. However, its versatility causes a small problem guessing whether it is special or physical. This is a minor problem
Celebi: Lucario can kill these, but he isn't a great counter for celebi. Blissey can stall with him, but celebi will also stall blissey. A fire move would help a lot. This is a problem.
Jirachi: Same situation as celebi: Lucario can kill these, but he isn't a great counter for celebi. Blissey can stall with him, but celebi will also stall blissey. A fire move would help a lot. This is a problem.
Dragonite: Hippowdon can switch in on it, absorb its attacks, and kill with ice fang.
Mamoswine: These things toruble my team. I usually have to sacrifice pokemon to kill them. This is a problem.
Gallade: Hippowdon can usually counter them. Also, if bronzong is saved, so can he
Yanmega: Bronzong normally kills yanmega starters. Late game, they could potentially cause a problem, although I am yet to see one in a late game sitaution. This is a minor problem.
Kingdra: Starmie can usually switch in on these and kill them with thunderbolt. Breloom can also switch in on them and set up (so can lucario to a lesser degree).
Roserade: These could cause a problem for me, although many of its variations would allow my breloom to set up. If they run ice or fire attacks, I am in toruble though. This is a minor problem.
Scizor: Usually either switch in breloom to spore and set up, or hippowdon to absorb its attacks and earthquake it.
Skarmory: These give me major problems. I usually have a lot of trouble killing them and have to sacrifice several pokemon to do this. This is a major problem.