ORAS OU ZardY Ttard core Balance

[TekTek]

Introduction​

Hey guys, as Sun and Moon are coming I started to ladder a little more preparing for a whole new gen. For this I made a team, pretty standard I'd say, that have pretty consistent win over the ladder.
Since I'm pretty happy with the results I had (still low @1400 though) I'd like to present you the team and get some feedback on the flaws I might not have find a way to solve. This is the first RMT I post, trying my best to get that thing smooth.
I'm playing pokemon on showdown since a couple of year now, but never could reach a decent ranking (either by lack of efficiency or lack of time invested), so my goal is to get up there on early sun and moon days! And starting with a good team building process is a helping hand so let's try

Teambuilding Process​

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Looking at what I had already tried, and what was effective right now, I started with a standard wallbreaking core in the names of mighty Sunny King Charizard Y and Bruteforce Tyranitar. Those two effectively completment themselves in terme of offensive presence, and really help with weather choice.

My first problem with this core was the hazard. I don't want rocks to weaken my dear Zard, plus I needed something that can somehow switch in the many ground and fighting move that T.Tar is calling. Latias, bulkier and still threatening version of Latios wasn't my first choice, but healing wish support prove to be really useful for late game sweep with ZardY. Plus, this is the fastest mon in the team

Now that hazard aren't on my side, I still needed some on the opponent's to ensure my damage dealer could KO all the things. I started with Hippowdon, thinking that it was a good answer to other ZardY and birdspam -helping T.Tard for both-; but it really couldn't switch in into too many situation and I started to look over another stealthrocker. Clefable made the test, helping me deal with more foe and applying more offensive pressure in the end -and so, more switch from my opponent-. Plus, dragon immunity and checking the latis is really important

After that, and the lose of Hippowdon, I find myself having big problem dealing with steel spam such as bisharp, Scizor and stuff. Latias stuck against bug/dark type moves. Heatran is a mon I like a lot for everything it brings, and he filled that slot perfectly!

Last, but not least, I needed something that could continuously switch into both physical and special attacks, and deal with Rotom-W (scarf variants killed my Zard too many times off guard) or Azumarill. My first try was Zapdos, but adding another rock weakness and loss of momentum during roost wasn't that good. Finally Tangrowth came and saved the day. He always do that.

The team​

Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
​

Choice Banded, full attack investement Tyraniar hits like a truck. And the capacity to pursuit trap some defoger or special walls really helps Charizard to bring the holly fire later on. I got that EV spread directly on showdown, and it worked really good being bulky and still offering enough speed to threaten standard Azumarill spread. This thing takes less than 60% from Draco Meteor Life Orb Latios under sand, and Life Orbe Bisharp's Iron Head fails to OHKO from 100% while earthquake neet the kill.
Nothing shiny here, Stone Edge for most damage rock spam, Pursuit for being one of the best moves in the game, crunch to ensure OHKOs on the latis. And earthquake is spammable and helps me deal with defensive heatran sets and 2HKO standard clefable without a possible miss.

Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Drought
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Focus Blast
- Roost
- Solar Beam
​

This set is the ultimate "you got no switch ins"-mon. Pretty standard gotta-go-fast-hit-hard Zard Y, this has really low switch ins as long as you can keep the sun on. Fireblast low accuracy might have cost me some games, but its inherent power won me way more.
Careful though with those switch ins, the double weakness to rocks and the relative frail bulk don't really opens for switch ins. It is a really good check to Calm Mind Clefable, 44% chance of 2HKO it at +1 with fireblast while taking no damage (25% from +1 moonblast). But thunder-wave might be a problem.

Latias @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Healing Wish
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
​

The first version of this set was way more bulky, with full PV investement and some mixed def/def spe trying to resist some things. But this team really lacks speed and another offensive presence which can be a win con or setup a win with fast healing wish was really needed. Psyshock actually 2HKO offensive clefable and helps DM killing defensive Rotoms. This mon is a good check to most fighting type, only afraid by ice-punches.

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
​

This set also moved a lot, from some basic calm mind to unaware tries. But in the end, this standard stealth rocker set actually works really well. Thunder wave give the opportunity to make out for the global lack of speed and 248 HP +176 Def allows it to survive 94% of the time choice banded BP from Scizor. And it is also a response to calm mind clefables, as I can para them to work around with Zard. This is only one of my few answer to weavile, which otherwise can crush my whole team, as long as it doesn't switch into an Icicle Crash.

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Taunt
- Lava Plume
- Stone Edge
- Toxic
​

Another standard set, utility max speed heatran is bulky enough to switch into many things, and can threaten stall with taunt denying recover from Mega-Venusaur for example. And offense with Lava Plume spam, spreading burns all alongs comons ground-type switch ins.
Stone Edge is a response to bird spam, either way Talonflame would be really hard to handle. And it also deals some damage to the Latis on switch.
Toxik main use is to catch Rotom-W on switch, and to prevent fire-types like défensive Mega-Zard X to stay in for too long.

Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Knock Off
- Leaf Storm
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
​

I really like this set. Being naturally bulky on the physical side, tangrowth can eat powerful special attacks with ease as long as its assault vest is on (Specs Keldeo fails to 2HKO it with anything). This is a really good response to Landorus-T leads, and HP ice+knock can punish unprepared latis. This thing can also switch into any variant of Rotom-W and Magnezone and retaliate with powerful attacks in Leaf Storm and Eartquake.
This is also a decent check to sand rush excadrill, 2HKOing it wih earthquake while eating 2 iron head without a risk.

Conclusion​

In conclusion, I'm really happy with the team ; even though it's kinda standard the whole thing really works out fine. I still have one issue that I didn't really find a good way to solve : it can sometimes be hard to deal with fast sweeper or priority users in the late game. Latias is the fastest mon with 350 speed, and it's not enough to take on some megas if I didn't manage to shut them down earlier.
So if anyone have suggestion to offer, I'd love to try them out, none of mine worked (Azumarill over Tangrowth, Sand rush drill over latias, etc.). I find it really hard to cut out some defensive synergies I have.
Oh, and I hope the whole thing is understandable as I'm rusty with my english writing!

Importable

Bruteforce (Tyranitar) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Louis XIV (Charizard-Mega-Y) @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Drought
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Focus Blast
- Roost
- Solar Beam

NoName (Latias) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Healing Wish
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock

Pinky O'Sally (Clefable) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled

The Duke (Heatran) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Taunt
- Lava Plume
- Stone Edge
- Toxic

JustCallItBob (Tangrowth) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Knock Off
- Leaf Storm
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Big shoutout to Nineage and TheFenderStory for the RMT tools, really speeds up the work :D

 

[Leftiez]

Hey buddy, i gotta admit that i've never been a big fan of Charizard-Y especially because of how he can be pointless in most of case and also because of how restricting it is in term of teambuilding, indeed it always needs a pursuiter (Tyranitar, Weavile or Bisharp) in order to be efficient as Latios / Latias are one of its best checks in the current metagame. However it doesn't mean that your team is bad at all and to be honest i find it solid outside of some weaknesses that i will help you to patch.

Firstly i'd suggest to swap Tangrowth's set with a physical defensive one as i noticed that you were pretty weak against things such as Metagross-Mega, Adamant Lopunny-Mega, CB Tyranitar, CB Terrakion or even Bisharp (let's note that Heatran is not a bisharp's check without Will-O-Wisp), now you will be safer against these threats listed above in addition to still support Charizard by knocking off Talonflame / Heatran's leftovers and make its sweep easier. This is also a good thing as Tangrowth will now be able to beat Suicune and Slowbro Calm Mind with the like of Leech Seed, while Assault Vest variant miserably fails at doing this when they both are really threatening for your team.

Secondly i'm noticing a pretty big weakness against Pinsir-Mega, he's probably one of your biggest threat as it can literally 2HKO / OHKO every single member of your team without any problem (it can setup on like Latias after Draco Meteor, Tyranitar locked and Tangrowth), that's why i'd suggest to change Leftovers with Choice Scarf on Heatran, Choice Scarf Heatran provides a speed controler to your team in addition to patch some weaknesses such as Pinsir, Metagross, Weavile, Gardevoir and Gengar while still checking Talonflame, Charizard, Tornadus-T and Clefable.

I hope I helped and good luck with your team.

Tangrowth and Heatran

Tangrowth @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Knock Off
- Giga Drain

Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Lava Plume / Fire Blast
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Earth Power

 

[TekTek]

Hey, thanks for the help.
You're right, as I mentionned this team really have trouble dealing with fast strong-hitter physical megas. I thought about putting a scarf somewhere and couldn't find a place to, Heatran without lefties and taunt couldn't check offensive calm mind clefable as effectively ; I'll try anyway this more offensive set if it can help me out!
My first thought on Tangrowth was to be a defensive pivot into decent physical attacks and strong special attacks (as Latias can be taken off by specs keldeo's Icy wind for example). It is right that going full defensive might help me dealing with my strongest threat though, so I'll try that checking if anything that that set used to check doesn't become another threat (looking at spec keldeo, scarf rotom and specs magnezone).

I'll come back after some ladder with those changes and edit the team if it works out for me!