Tested and revised OU team.

[Heracross]

A couple months ago I posted a similar team here, and after extensive testing on Shoddy I have made several changes. My goal is to assemble it in-game once I tweak it to my satisfaction. I'm feeling confident with this team as it has landed me a decent record and several 6-0 matches, although sandstorm teams have proven to be a major weakness.

Salamence @ Leftovers
Intimidate
Adamant (+Atk -SpA)
120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
-Dragon Dance
-Dragon Claw
-Earthquake
-Flamethrower/Thunder Fang

My lead. Since many people assume a Salamence lead will be Specsmence, I can sometimes catch them off guard with a dragon dance instead. Flamethrower may not be the best option when you're this strapped for moveslots, but I like the coverage and dislike fire blast's accuracy. I was considering going with thunder fang instead to nail any Gyarados trying to scare me off with its ice fangs and stop my sweep, which is quite a common occurance.

Heracross @ Choice Band
Guts
Adamant (+Atk -SpA)
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Megahorn
-Close Combat
-Stone Edge
-Facade

My all-time favorite pokémon and the definition of "powerhouse", 2HKOing even some of the most defensive pokémon in the game if they don't resist the attack of choice. He can act as a pseudo status absorber, and with guts boosted facade, even Gliscor has to watch out if it's taken any prior damage. I've already bred and EV'd Hera in game though at the moment he has aerial ace and night slash in the last two slots.

Porygon-Z @ Salac Berry
Adaptability
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
-Tri Attack
-Nasty Plot
-Thunderbolt
-Ice Beam

I love this guy to death. After two nasty plots, even Blissey is easily 2HKO'd if she gets any wise ideas about seismic tossing me to death, and if his salac berry is activated without being paralyzed then a sweep is emminent.

Gengar @ Wide Lens
Levitate
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Hypnosis
-Shadow Ball
-Focus Blast
-Energy Ball

Gengar is one of the most overused pokémon out there, but there's a good reason for that - he's just plain awesome. And on this team, he's never short of opportunities to switch into fighting attacks aimed at my two normal types. I chose energy ball specifically as a nasty surprise for Swampert who comes in expecting a 3HKO, and it's only slightly less effective on other waters then tbolt, which Porygon-Z covers anyway.

Snorlax @ Leftovers
Thick Fat
Careful (+SpD -Spe)
244 HP / 28 Def / 236 SpD
- Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Body Slam
- Crunch

Snorlax is an absolute beast. He's particularly useful for sponging up ice attacks aimed at Salamence and as a status absorber. My team also appreciates body slam's chance of paralysis, and as an added bonus he's about a thousand times cooler than that ugly pink blob everyone loves so much. I was thinking about trying out Curselax, but I don't like the thought of being set-up bait while resting. The extra power would definately be nice though.

Starmie @ Leftovers
Natural Cure
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
160 HP / 132 SAtk / 216 Spe
-Surf
-Ice Beam
-Recover
-Rapid Spin

Standard rapid spinner and dragon killer. It's extremely reliable and useful, not much else to say. Also bred and EVd

...

The only thing I don't like about this team is its inability to take strong physical attacks. If Heracross wasn't my ultimate favorite and I hadn't spent so much time breeding it, I would totally consider switching him for Metagross or Scizor since a more defensive pokémon, a steel type, a priority move, or even a baton passer are all things that would benefit the team, and they can both also exploit Snorlax's thick fat. The fact that either of them paired with Salamence would have perfect defensive type coverage is also worthy of note. Either way I'll probably test them out on Shoddy eventually.

 

[Zondrina]

Mixape could cause you some problems. It can ohko a couple people on your team. Your starmie can wall it nicely but you need something that can really switch in and make sure it gets taken down.

Vaporeon and bulky gyara's can set up on it and scare it away for good.

 

[Heracross]

To be honest I hardly ever have trouble with Infernape, since what move it will use can be predicted pretty easily depending which of my pokémon is on the field. If it comes in to flamethrower Hera, switch to Snorlax, when it wants to CC Snorlax, Gengar comes in to sleep it, and Starmie handles both. Gengar also resists grass knot and u-turn if it tries to predict Starmie switching in.

 

[Zondrina]

Yes but thats not a reliable counter. Your relying on PREDICTION which your opponent can also do very easily.

Gengar comes in to sleep it

What if i had a rest talker? Hypnosis on gengar is even MORE predictable then what an infernape brings. Then i send in my rest talker, youve activated sleep clause and my rest talker can potentially deal with your gengar or i can switch to something else to deal with it.

So youve basically helped me by putting one of my pokemon to sleep. Who says i HAVE To U-Turn my infernape out. Obviously everyone runs timid on gengar these days. ( You get the occasional modest but not as much. ) So id want to get ape out of there before you can do anything.

You need a reliable counter which can guaruntee scaring it away. Thats why i recomended vaporeon or gyara ( which gyara can set up quite nicely on it ).

 

[Heracross]

Regardless of any of that, since when was Starmie not a sufficient Infernape counter?

 

[Blue Ace]

Mixape could cause you some problems. It can ohko a couple people on your team. Your starmie can wall it nicely but you need something that can really switch in and make sure it gets taken down.

Vaporeon and bulky gyara's can set up on it and scare it away for good.

Not exactly sure what the point to this post was?

Starmie counters standard MixApe fine, including ThunderPunch versions, seeing as even with a significant EV investment it isnt OHKOing, where as Starmie can easily outspeed and KO it. Besides Starmie is far more reliable as a MixApe counter than Vaporeon and Gyara, since unlike them, it has a reliable way of healing and can outspeed, probably the best MixApe counter in the game.




- Salamence needs Flamethrower, without it, it's easily walled by Steel types, a rule of thumb, don't reduce a poke's overall usefulness for 1 poke


- Porygon Z is always better off with Download, bar on Mixed Z, the things Z should be coming in on always have lower S.Def anyway, which means you'll always get the boost if you know how and when to use it properly. Though to be honest, I'd remove it for a Garchomp counter, it seems fairly redundant with Gengar and Starmie anyway. Bronzong or Gliscor are fitting choices and cover up some of your many weaks.


- I've found Body Slam on Snorlax to be quite overrated really, Earthquake or Fire Punch are superior Choices, Earthquake allows you to counter things like Heatran, Houndoom and Raikou, as well as giving Ape and Luke switch ins a beating. Fire Punch, lets it properly counter Magnet Rise Magnezone, CM Regice and Yanmega, as well as hitting Heracross and Breloom switch ins


- By putting in Gliscor or Bronzong you can open up a much needed T-Bolt on Starmie, it isnt a "reliable" dragon counter by any means, though Ape and Gyara countering are two things it can do reliably.

236 HP, 56 S.Atk, 216 Spd

^ Should be the EVs it has with T-Bolt > Ice Beam, this set is bulkier, which will let it switch in easier on Ape and Gyara, besides 132 S.Atk is only needed for OHKOing Chomp with Ice Beam, it isnt doing anything else with them

As is, you have a Heracross weak, Lucario Weak, Gyarados weak, Deoxys-e weak, slight YacheChomp weak, slight Mamoswine weak, and a slight Magnezone weak

 

[Heracross]

- Salamence needs Flamethrower, without it, it's easily walled by Steel types, a rule of thumb, don't reduce a poke's overall usefulness for 1 poke

Noted.

- Porygon Z is always better off with Download, bar on Mixed Z

Meh.

- By putting in Gliscor or Bronzong you can open up a much needed T-Bolt on Starmie, it isnt a "reliable" dragon counter by any means, though Ape and Gyara countering are two things it can do reliably.

Please. I never used the word "counter" with relation to dragons because I know it isn't one. Revenge killing them is something it is indeed reliable at, however.

 

[Blue Ace]

Yet you sued the word "reliable" which is what I put in parantheses....

The last sentence in my last quote and the last sentence in the Smogon analysis? is that not what I said? "It's not doing anything else with them" = "Is not a relevant benchmark"

Besides I said to remove Ice Beam for Thunderbolt, why EV to OHKO Chomp if you dont have the move to OHKO it with in the 1st place?

You need a good Garchomp counter anyway, also please read the other stuff I suggested instead of quickly skimming through and giving it no 2nd thought.

 

[Heracross]

Yet you sued the word "reliable" which is what I put in parantheses....

That was more in a general sense, hence it being in a seperate sentence.

The last sentence in my last quote and the last sentence in the Smogon analysis? is that not what I said? "It's not doing anything else with them" = "Is not a relevant benchmark"

Yes, I realized this, but forum lag prevented me from deleting that comment sooner.

Besides I said to remove Ice Beam for Thunderbolt, why EV to OHKO Chomp if you dont have the move to OHKO it with in the 1st place?

You need a good Garchomp counter anyway, also please read the other stuff I suggested instead of quickly skimming through and giving it no 2nd thought.

Please don't take my lack of a response as an indication that I didn't read it, it's just that well, I don't have a response. I certainly do consider Garchomp a big threat even with Starmie, especially scarfed versions (Although Porygon-Z just dispatched one literally as I was typing this). Incidentally, some of the threats you listed there reinforce the idea that Metagross could work well on the team.