Darkerones
SlowpokeHunter
Hello fellow Trainers!
Allow me to introduce you to one of my first competitive teams that just refuses to retire. Aside from the main offensive core,I’ve completely renovated this team in hopes of discovering the best Hyper Offense team in Standard OU.
The whole premise of this team was/is to destroy the opponent outright with huge awesome looking Pokemon.
Now, that sounds un-strategic and naïve but there is actually plenty of strategy to this team even if it isn’t all about entry hazards and precise EVs
For those who aren’t familiar with previous renditions of the team, the main core consists of Hydreigon, Volcarona, and Metagross,as for the other 3 Pokemon:
Electivire was my original prospect for dealing with bulky waters but proved ineffective due to predictability and the fact that a lot of bulky waters also had a Ground typing. So instead I now use Breloom,a more effective and annoying answer to my bulky water problem and also carries much desired Fighting STAB.
Gyarados was also on my team to compliment Electivire but however just couldn’t keep up with the other sweepers and often found itself walled by the likes of Breloom and Ferrothorn. I now use Cloyster in his place since he deals with Dragon types and Gliscor even better than Gyarados could and can also break through Breloom’s subs as well as being blessed with the godly Shell Smash.
Porygon2 once held up as the team’s one-man defensive core,however offered little utility options and was often KOed anyway by powerful Fighting types. So instead I opted for Espeon due to her amazing ability acting as a permanent entry hazard deterrent and her ability to set up dual screens,and her offensive prowess isn’t to be overlooked either.
Anyway,here is a closer look at the team:
Hydreigon (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Fire Blast
- Draco Meteor
- U-turn
- Focus Blast
The closest thing this team has to a lead. Hydreigon is often (and wrongfully) overlooked in favor of other "more powerful" Dragon types. But for this particular team he fit right in due to a unique typing,great movepool,decent and also overlooked bulk, and just because I wanted to use him plain and simple. This Pokemon does a great job of scouting the opponent's team with U-turn and flee the fray for later use, after U-turning I will usually send out Espeon to deflect a predicted entry hazard. After the early stages of the battle are over, Hydreigon is my premier (and only) revenge killer,Fire Blast takes down Scizor and Ferrothorn while also OHKOing Venusaur in the Sun. Focus Blast mauls Tyranitar and can catch Heatran and Terrakion off guard as well. Finally,Draco Meteor is my STAB option as it allows me to deal huge damage from the get go and promptly retreat,negating the negative side effects.
Synergy-wise, Hydreigon can switch in on Water type attacks aimed at Volcarona and Fire and Ground attacks aimed at Metagross as well as defend Breloom from Psychic attacks,Espeon from Ghost/Dark attacks and Cloyster from Electric and Grass assaults.
Volcarona (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Volcarona is my special oriented set up sweeper and a decent answer to Sun teams as Volcarona does a good job of setting up and wrecking havoc very quickly. Fire Blast is the preferred option in this set so I can immediately power through a Pokemon without having to set up. Quiver Dance is almost obligatory on all Volcarona,it is an amazing set up move that helps me check CM Reuniclus and Latias better. Bug Buzz is also a must to take out Latios and Whimsicott on the spot,and is also a secondary STAB that lets me hit Water types,Politoed and Slowbro in particular.HP Fighting lets me hit Heatran and Terrakion effectively while also scoring a super effective hit on Tyranitar. Life Orb maximizes damage output in case I cannot afford to set up.
Synergy-wise,Volcarona handles Ice, Bug and Fighting attacks aimed at Hydreigon,often maiming Fighting types with Flame Body, Volcarona can also switch into Grass type attacks aimed at Cloyster and defend the team from Scizor's CB Bullet Punches (praying that Flame Body activates).
Metagross @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 204 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Meteor Mash
Metagross acts as my anti-metagame sweeper using Agility to boost its speed to more than usable levels and check Pokemon that would usually beat it. The EVs given make Metagross plenty bulky as well as maximizing the utility of Agility and giving it monstrous attacking power. Meteor Mash is preferred over Bullet Punch on this set as priority is redundant on Agiligross due to a blazing 454 speed after an Agility and the fact that no priority move is SE on him,some are even resisted,also,if Meteor Mash's attack boost hax activates then Metagross becomes nearly unstoppable at 607 Attack and 454 Speed. Ice Punch nails Gliscor and Landorus no problem while taking down Dragon types and Grass types that dare provoke it. Earthquake rounds out the coverage hitting Heatran and Lucario Super Effectively and providing Metagross with a way to hit to hit Water types (although they wont take much from EQ anyway without an Attack boost) and Scizor.
Synergy is where Metagross really shines, as it can take repeated abuse from common Dragon type STAB attacks aimed at Hydreigon in particular,Metagross especially loves to switch in on Outrages,set up Agility,and OHKO with Ice Punch (unfortunately he cant OHKO Multiscale Dragonite though). In addition,Metagross resists Volcarona's Rock and Flying weaknesses,Hydreigon's Ice and Dragon weakness,Breloom's Psychic and Flying weaknesses,Cloyster's Rock and Grass weaknesses, and he can guard Espeon from pretty much any strong physical attack.
Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 236 HP/ 212 SDef/ 60 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Seed Bomb
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Spore
Breloom isn't exactly big or scary,but any competent player knows that Breloom is a force to be reckoned with .At first I was very skeptical about Bulk Up Breloom but let me tell you,it works. This guy laughs at Politoed,Gastrodon,RotomW and even more bulky waters as it sets up and attempts to sweep. The EVs and Nature allow Breloom to tank Water attacks even in the rain as well as other special attacks since his Special Defense cannot be boosted. Spore is still a great asset allowing me to sleep faster threats such as Tentacruel and set up in their faces. Drain Punch is the preferred STAB move to keep Breloom healthy while sweeping. Finally,Seed Bomb takes care of Water types that somewhat plague this team. Breloom puts a full stop to rain stall and is fairly effective in sandstorm too (given that Gliscor is down).
Breloom offers good synergy with the team,resisting Volcarona's crippling Rock and Water weaknesses,Espeon's Dark weakness (Breloom punches Tyranitar into next week),Cloyster's Electric and Grass weaknesses as well as being immune to Leech Seed (watch out Ferrothorn), and Metagross's Ground weakness.
Cloyster (M) @ White Herb
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 216 Atk / 40 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Hydro Pump
As much as I hate using cheap tactics like Shell Smash (and Breloom for that matter) this team IS Hyper Offense and the more ridiculously overpowered sweepers I have,the better. In short,Cloyster is my wallbreaker,capable of ripping massive holes into the opponents team with one boost and sometimes even sweeping. I chose White Herb as my item to preserve Cloyster's excellent natural physical bulk after a Shell Smash,allowing him to still tank a few blows while cleaning up a weakened team. Icicle Spear takes advantage of Skill Link and destroys pretty much everything that doesn't resist it after a boost and breaks Multiscale and KOs Dragonite and Gliscor even without a boost. Rock Blast smashes Gyarados and hits things resistant to Icicle Spear such as Politoed and Tentacruel and mauls opposing Volcarona as well as the rare Charizard. Rock Blast also offers an alternative attack to hit Fire types when the Sun is up. Hydro Pump is my secondary STAB attack that allows Cloyster to hit physically bulky threats such as Skarmory and Forretress as well as Heatran,Tyranitar,Mamoswine,Scizor and Jirachi a lot better.
Cloyster provides synergy with the team in resisting Metagross and Breloom's Fire weakness, Hydreigon/Breloom's Ice weakness, Volcarona's Water weakness,and can tank pretty much any physical attack aimed at Espeon.
Espeon (F) @ Light Clay
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Espeon is the perfect supporter for this team,being able to deflect entry hazards that can screw Cloyster and Volcarona and set up Light Screen and Reflect to help the team take hits better in general and weaken attacks (especially priority moves) that could otherwise end a sweep. Despite Espeon's generally supportive role,he isn't helpless offensively either,far from it. Psychic is a powerful STAB move that Espeon can use to KO Fighting types that can cause trouble for the team. HP Fire KOs common spikers such as Ferrothorn and Forretress and allows Espeon to beat Scizor,the most common Pokemon in OU (Bullet Punch with Reflect up wont OHKO and most Scizor will use Pursuit anyway hoping to force a switch). Following the style of HO,Espeon sports a very offensive EV spread just like the rest of the team,allowing it to wreck just as much havoc as its fellow teammates,especially in checking/countering Fighting types.
Espeon can take most unboosted Fighting type attacks that threaten Cloyster(despite the beefy Defense stat) and Hydreigon fairly well,as well as ****-block other Psychic types trying to take down Breloom and set up screens (again) if need be in their faces. Factoring in Cloyster's puny Special Defense Espeon can come in to take a neutral Special Attack for it due to its okay special bulk. Unfortunately Espeon's typing doesn't give it all that many resistances to take advantage of.
BIG THREATS:
Rock Polish Terrakion can really mess this team up,if I can't KO it before it sets up then Metagross is my only plausible response to it and even then I'll have to sacrifice a Pokemon to switch him in and Metagross will take a load of damage in the process.
Gyarados completely walls two of my sweepers and can set up DD freely in their faces. My only hope after that is to get a lucky burn from Volcarona or a lucky crit with Hydreigon if the Gyarados has only one boost (a full health Gyarados wont be KOed by Draco Meteor). However,if it lacks Bounce or Ice Fang Breloom walls it. Fortunately Gyarados isn't all that used.
Bulky Dragonite is a big threat due to it's ability to wall two of my sweepers and tank hits with Multiscale from all but Cloyster. After a couple DDs it can potentially sweep the team even with Cloyster around. Although if it uses Outrage then Metagross can come in on it and KO. If it's running Dragon Claw and Cloyster's weakened or gone then I'm screwed.
Rotom-W is an annoyance due to me not having anything immune to Volt Switch. He isn't sweeping this team anytime soon but can be a nuisance since he can OHKO Cloyster with Volt Switch and hamper Breloom by Tricking it a Choice item. A few Volt Switches can leave this team quite weakened and even more prone to the Pokemon mentioned above. Plus,not much is more annoying than having to KO every other Pokemon in my opponent's party often before I even touch Choice Scarf variants of Rotom-W only to have it spam Hydro Pump in defiance at the end of the match and KO the last couple of Volt Switch weary Pokemon on my team.
Rain stall teams are generally a problem and I have to rely a lot on Breloom and Cloyster to break through their walls and I have a hard time keeping hazards off the field even with Espeon.
Well that's the team. Please feel free to rate and give suggestions. Sorry for the long read.
Allow me to introduce you to one of my first competitive teams that just refuses to retire. Aside from the main offensive core,I’ve completely renovated this team in hopes of discovering the best Hyper Offense team in Standard OU.
The whole premise of this team was/is to destroy the opponent outright with huge awesome looking Pokemon.
Now, that sounds un-strategic and naïve but there is actually plenty of strategy to this team even if it isn’t all about entry hazards and precise EVs
For those who aren’t familiar with previous renditions of the team, the main core consists of Hydreigon, Volcarona, and Metagross,as for the other 3 Pokemon:
Electivire was my original prospect for dealing with bulky waters but proved ineffective due to predictability and the fact that a lot of bulky waters also had a Ground typing. So instead I now use Breloom,a more effective and annoying answer to my bulky water problem and also carries much desired Fighting STAB.
Gyarados was also on my team to compliment Electivire but however just couldn’t keep up with the other sweepers and often found itself walled by the likes of Breloom and Ferrothorn. I now use Cloyster in his place since he deals with Dragon types and Gliscor even better than Gyarados could and can also break through Breloom’s subs as well as being blessed with the godly Shell Smash.
Porygon2 once held up as the team’s one-man defensive core,however offered little utility options and was often KOed anyway by powerful Fighting types. So instead I opted for Espeon due to her amazing ability acting as a permanent entry hazard deterrent and her ability to set up dual screens,and her offensive prowess isn’t to be overlooked either.
Anyway,here is a closer look at the team:
Hydreigon (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Fire Blast
- Draco Meteor
- U-turn
- Focus Blast
The closest thing this team has to a lead. Hydreigon is often (and wrongfully) overlooked in favor of other "more powerful" Dragon types. But for this particular team he fit right in due to a unique typing,great movepool,decent and also overlooked bulk, and just because I wanted to use him plain and simple. This Pokemon does a great job of scouting the opponent's team with U-turn and flee the fray for later use, after U-turning I will usually send out Espeon to deflect a predicted entry hazard. After the early stages of the battle are over, Hydreigon is my premier (and only) revenge killer,Fire Blast takes down Scizor and Ferrothorn while also OHKOing Venusaur in the Sun. Focus Blast mauls Tyranitar and can catch Heatran and Terrakion off guard as well. Finally,Draco Meteor is my STAB option as it allows me to deal huge damage from the get go and promptly retreat,negating the negative side effects.
Synergy-wise, Hydreigon can switch in on Water type attacks aimed at Volcarona and Fire and Ground attacks aimed at Metagross as well as defend Breloom from Psychic attacks,Espeon from Ghost/Dark attacks and Cloyster from Electric and Grass assaults.
Volcarona (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Volcarona is my special oriented set up sweeper and a decent answer to Sun teams as Volcarona does a good job of setting up and wrecking havoc very quickly. Fire Blast is the preferred option in this set so I can immediately power through a Pokemon without having to set up. Quiver Dance is almost obligatory on all Volcarona,it is an amazing set up move that helps me check CM Reuniclus and Latias better. Bug Buzz is also a must to take out Latios and Whimsicott on the spot,and is also a secondary STAB that lets me hit Water types,Politoed and Slowbro in particular.HP Fighting lets me hit Heatran and Terrakion effectively while also scoring a super effective hit on Tyranitar. Life Orb maximizes damage output in case I cannot afford to set up.
Synergy-wise,Volcarona handles Ice, Bug and Fighting attacks aimed at Hydreigon,often maiming Fighting types with Flame Body, Volcarona can also switch into Grass type attacks aimed at Cloyster and defend the team from Scizor's CB Bullet Punches (praying that Flame Body activates).
Metagross @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 204 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Meteor Mash
Metagross acts as my anti-metagame sweeper using Agility to boost its speed to more than usable levels and check Pokemon that would usually beat it. The EVs given make Metagross plenty bulky as well as maximizing the utility of Agility and giving it monstrous attacking power. Meteor Mash is preferred over Bullet Punch on this set as priority is redundant on Agiligross due to a blazing 454 speed after an Agility and the fact that no priority move is SE on him,some are even resisted,also,if Meteor Mash's attack boost hax activates then Metagross becomes nearly unstoppable at 607 Attack and 454 Speed. Ice Punch nails Gliscor and Landorus no problem while taking down Dragon types and Grass types that dare provoke it. Earthquake rounds out the coverage hitting Heatran and Lucario Super Effectively and providing Metagross with a way to hit to hit Water types (although they wont take much from EQ anyway without an Attack boost) and Scizor.
Synergy is where Metagross really shines, as it can take repeated abuse from common Dragon type STAB attacks aimed at Hydreigon in particular,Metagross especially loves to switch in on Outrages,set up Agility,and OHKO with Ice Punch (unfortunately he cant OHKO Multiscale Dragonite though). In addition,Metagross resists Volcarona's Rock and Flying weaknesses,Hydreigon's Ice and Dragon weakness,Breloom's Psychic and Flying weaknesses,Cloyster's Rock and Grass weaknesses, and he can guard Espeon from pretty much any strong physical attack.
Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 236 HP/ 212 SDef/ 60 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Seed Bomb
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Spore
Breloom isn't exactly big or scary,but any competent player knows that Breloom is a force to be reckoned with .At first I was very skeptical about Bulk Up Breloom but let me tell you,it works. This guy laughs at Politoed,Gastrodon,RotomW and even more bulky waters as it sets up and attempts to sweep. The EVs and Nature allow Breloom to tank Water attacks even in the rain as well as other special attacks since his Special Defense cannot be boosted. Spore is still a great asset allowing me to sleep faster threats such as Tentacruel and set up in their faces. Drain Punch is the preferred STAB move to keep Breloom healthy while sweeping. Finally,Seed Bomb takes care of Water types that somewhat plague this team. Breloom puts a full stop to rain stall and is fairly effective in sandstorm too (given that Gliscor is down).
Breloom offers good synergy with the team,resisting Volcarona's crippling Rock and Water weaknesses,Espeon's Dark weakness (Breloom punches Tyranitar into next week),Cloyster's Electric and Grass weaknesses as well as being immune to Leech Seed (watch out Ferrothorn), and Metagross's Ground weakness.
Cloyster (M) @ White Herb
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 216 Atk / 40 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Hydro Pump
As much as I hate using cheap tactics like Shell Smash (and Breloom for that matter) this team IS Hyper Offense and the more ridiculously overpowered sweepers I have,the better. In short,Cloyster is my wallbreaker,capable of ripping massive holes into the opponents team with one boost and sometimes even sweeping. I chose White Herb as my item to preserve Cloyster's excellent natural physical bulk after a Shell Smash,allowing him to still tank a few blows while cleaning up a weakened team. Icicle Spear takes advantage of Skill Link and destroys pretty much everything that doesn't resist it after a boost and breaks Multiscale and KOs Dragonite and Gliscor even without a boost. Rock Blast smashes Gyarados and hits things resistant to Icicle Spear such as Politoed and Tentacruel and mauls opposing Volcarona as well as the rare Charizard. Rock Blast also offers an alternative attack to hit Fire types when the Sun is up. Hydro Pump is my secondary STAB attack that allows Cloyster to hit physically bulky threats such as Skarmory and Forretress as well as Heatran,Tyranitar,Mamoswine,Scizor and Jirachi a lot better.
Cloyster provides synergy with the team in resisting Metagross and Breloom's Fire weakness, Hydreigon/Breloom's Ice weakness, Volcarona's Water weakness,and can tank pretty much any physical attack aimed at Espeon.
Espeon (F) @ Light Clay
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Espeon is the perfect supporter for this team,being able to deflect entry hazards that can screw Cloyster and Volcarona and set up Light Screen and Reflect to help the team take hits better in general and weaken attacks (especially priority moves) that could otherwise end a sweep. Despite Espeon's generally supportive role,he isn't helpless offensively either,far from it. Psychic is a powerful STAB move that Espeon can use to KO Fighting types that can cause trouble for the team. HP Fire KOs common spikers such as Ferrothorn and Forretress and allows Espeon to beat Scizor,the most common Pokemon in OU (Bullet Punch with Reflect up wont OHKO and most Scizor will use Pursuit anyway hoping to force a switch). Following the style of HO,Espeon sports a very offensive EV spread just like the rest of the team,allowing it to wreck just as much havoc as its fellow teammates,especially in checking/countering Fighting types.
Espeon can take most unboosted Fighting type attacks that threaten Cloyster(despite the beefy Defense stat) and Hydreigon fairly well,as well as ****-block other Psychic types trying to take down Breloom and set up screens (again) if need be in their faces. Factoring in Cloyster's puny Special Defense Espeon can come in to take a neutral Special Attack for it due to its okay special bulk. Unfortunately Espeon's typing doesn't give it all that many resistances to take advantage of.
BIG THREATS:
Rock Polish Terrakion can really mess this team up,if I can't KO it before it sets up then Metagross is my only plausible response to it and even then I'll have to sacrifice a Pokemon to switch him in and Metagross will take a load of damage in the process.
Gyarados completely walls two of my sweepers and can set up DD freely in their faces. My only hope after that is to get a lucky burn from Volcarona or a lucky crit with Hydreigon if the Gyarados has only one boost (a full health Gyarados wont be KOed by Draco Meteor). However,if it lacks Bounce or Ice Fang Breloom walls it. Fortunately Gyarados isn't all that used.
Bulky Dragonite is a big threat due to it's ability to wall two of my sweepers and tank hits with Multiscale from all but Cloyster. After a couple DDs it can potentially sweep the team even with Cloyster around. Although if it uses Outrage then Metagross can come in on it and KO. If it's running Dragon Claw and Cloyster's weakened or gone then I'm screwed.
Rotom-W is an annoyance due to me not having anything immune to Volt Switch. He isn't sweeping this team anytime soon but can be a nuisance since he can OHKO Cloyster with Volt Switch and hamper Breloom by Tricking it a Choice item. A few Volt Switches can leave this team quite weakened and even more prone to the Pokemon mentioned above. Plus,not much is more annoying than having to KO every other Pokemon in my opponent's party often before I even touch Choice Scarf variants of Rotom-W only to have it spam Hydro Pump in defiance at the end of the match and KO the last couple of Volt Switch weary Pokemon on my team.
Rain stall teams are generally a problem and I have to rely a lot on Breloom and Cloyster to break through their walls and I have a hard time keeping hazards off the field even with Espeon.
Well that's the team. Please feel free to rate and give suggestions. Sorry for the long read.
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