SM OU King On His Throne (Nidoking Offense, Peak 2030, Top 10 on Ladder)

[1 True Lycan]

Introduction and Building Process
I built this because I wanted to see whether I could build some non-standard teams and still be successful. I was actually kind of frustrated with the ladder at the time and so I built this team very quickly. I knew I wanted Nidoking with Stealth Rock and the correct coverage moves to break all the Cele-Pex teams infesting the ladder, and I paired this with Ash - Greninja to pressure the opponent with hazards even more. Nidoking also threatens all of the greninja checks barring Chansey. Then I chose Scizor + Thundurus for volt turning shenanigans, and CB Victini as a solid physical wallbreaker. Lastly, Bulu patched up the holes in the team defensively and also gave me speed control since it is choice scarfed.

Proof of Peak: https://prnt.sc/huue5c
I could possibly have gone further than this, but my aim was just to see how well the team performed rather than to reach a specific point on the ladder. This is also my first solo RMT so apologies for any mistakes.

Team Breakdown

Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Flamethrower
- Stealth Rock

The inspiration for the team. I chose these coverage moves to threaten a range of defensive pokemon such as Landorus-t, Toxapex, Celesteela, Ferrothorn and Scizor. It is also my Stealth Rocker since it can often force switches and find a turn to set up rocks.

Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Hydro Pump
- Water Shuriken
- Dark Pulse

This is the standard Greninja set, I chose spikes to threaten the opposing team which is very effective with volt - turn.

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Roost
- Defog

Mega Scizor provides some backbone to the team, switching into physical attackers such as Landorus-t and Mega Lopunny. It also provides momentum with U-Turn, allowing me to bring in threats such as Nidoking and Victini more easily. I originally wanted this to be SD but after adding in Thundurus and Victini I decided to make it defog instead. It is just the standard ev spread from the calc and could possibly be optimised, I haven't really tried.

Thundurus @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Knock Off
- Focus Blast

Now this set is quite interesting. I wanted volt switch because it worked really well with hazard support and it did a great job of luring in fat mons such as Clefable which Victini can nuke. HP Ice and Z Focus Blast round out the coverage, and I chose knock off as last because it is nice to knock assault vest from tangrowth for greninja (for example). It's just a nice move in the last slot. I think this moveset could potentially be tweaked, for example I could have z superpower instead of focus blast or I could have prankster t wave instead of knock off. So far I have not experimented much, but this moveset has served me very well.

Victini @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- U-turn
- Brick Break

This pokemon is incredibly strong, and most of the time you will be clicking V-Create. If the opponent has a Tyranitar/Heatran you can just U Turn or Brick Break them on the switch. It's typing helps out a lot with threats such as Kartana and Lele if Scizor becomes too pressured. This pokemon is also my main weapon against stall (more on this in the threatlist).

Tapu Bulu @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Stone Edge

This pokemon holds my team together by checking threats such as Tapu Koko and Ash Greninja. It is also some much needed speed control and can sometimes net some surprise kills since not many people expect this to be the scarfer. It can hit relatively hard with wood hammer and can also nab pokemon such as Pinsir and Tornadus-t on the switch with stone edge.

Threatlist
Stall: These are usually only an issue if the opponent has more than one solid fire resist along with a way to reliably keep hazards off the field. If this is the case, then Victini is hard pressed to break through because you need to predict correctly every turn to stand a chance. Other stall archetypes fall to the combined pressure of knock off + vswitch Thundurus, spikes Greninja, and CB Victini. I have actually beaten stall many times with this team, but certain archetypes are more annoying than others.

Protean Greninja with HP Fire: I actually never faced this on the ladder since it is very rare, but I imagine it would be a big issue since only Tapu Bulu can outspeed it. However it can still be played around using my own Greninja and also Scizor's priority if Greninja has just used ice beam.

Ash Greninja: A well played Ash Greninja can be an issue since Bulu without an AV isnt the most reliable answer, however it can be played around.

Kommo-o: He is lowkey broken

Importable

Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Flamethrower
- Stealth Rock

Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Hydro Pump
- Water Shuriken
- Dark Pulse

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Roost
- Defog

Thundurus @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Knock Off
- Focus Blast

Victini @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- U-turn
- Brick Break

Tapu Bulu @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Stone Edge

Replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-682006732 - Thundurus puts in work
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-682019953 - Nidoking wallbreaks and Bulu cleans up, also gets a surprise kill
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-682029051 - Win vs standard stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-682048976 - Win vs Suicune Stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-682537970 - Greninja sweep
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-682488954 - Knock off thundurus helping out greninja
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-682558507 - An example of Nidoking winning at team preview if used right

s/o WoA

 

[Ktütverde]

Hei man gratz:)

You obviously know what u are doing and this is apparently a fun team so I won't start suggesting stuff like landorus+toxapex instead of etc..., but only minor changes that may help you get much more momentum and have much more fun with your unique team. Enjoy!

Focus sash Nidoking

this is a weird idea but nidoking is strong enough with sheer force, using a sash might allow you to stay in against protean greninja or jolly landorus and get a ko. Helps getting rocks up too!
Tho timid+sash misses the KO on ferrothorn even with fireblast, but the most revelant calc is this one:

Toxapex spdef, ez

252 SpA Sheer Force Nidoking Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex: 162-192 (53.2 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Energy Ball Banded Victini

weird but efficient. I have never seen a victini in a situation where it prefers using brickbreak than uturn, for exemple if u predict heatran just uturn and bring nidoking, anyway boltstrike is 130 BasePower which is close to 75 x2=150 (i'm good at maths!!). So energy ball, even with a jolly nature, +eventually grassy terrain, allows you to achieve this:

how to kill quag-gon-jinn

252 Atk Choice Band Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 147-173 (37.3 - 43.9%) -- 100% chance to 3HKO ==> BAD
252 Atk Choice Band Victini Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 132-156 (33.5 - 39.5%) -- 17.3% chance to 3HKO ==> BAD
VS
0- SpA Victini Energy Ball vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Quagsire: 328-388 (83.2 - 98.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO ==> mmh GG stall?

Good job otherwise, this team is super cool and I admit I am surprised you managed to reach the 2000 heights without landorus, magearna and standard broken shit, but you do make good plays as your replays show^^ Good luck with your future teams and see ya!

 

[1 True Lycan]

Hei man gratz:)

You obviously know what u are doing and this is apparently a fun team so I won't start suggesting stuff like landorus+toxapex instead of etc..., but only minor changes that may help you get much more momentum and have much more fun with your unique team. Enjoy!

Focus sash Nidoking

this is a weird idea but nidoking is strong enough with sheer force, using a sash might allow you to stay in against protean greninja or jolly landorus and get a ko. Helps getting rocks up too!
Tho timid+sash misses the KO on ferrothorn even with fireblast, but the most revelant calc is this one:

Toxapex spdef, ez

252 SpA Sheer Force Nidoking Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex: 162-192 (53.2 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Energy Ball Banded Victini

weird but efficient. I have never seen a victini in a situation where it prefers using brickbreak than uturn, for exemple if u predict heatran just uturn and bring nidoking, anyway boltstrike is 130 BasePower which is close to 75 x2=150 (i'm good at maths!!). So energy ball, even with a jolly nature, +eventually grassy terrain, allows you to achieve this:

how to kill quag-gon-jinn

252 Atk Choice Band Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 147-173 (37.3 - 43.9%) -- 100% chance to 3HKO ==> BAD
252 Atk Choice Band Victini Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 132-156 (33.5 - 39.5%) -- 17.3% chance to 3HKO ==> BAD
VS
0- SpA Victini Energy Ball vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Quagsire: 328-388 (83.2 - 98.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO ==> mmh GG stall?

Good job otherwise, this team is super cool and I admit I am surprised you managed to reach the 2000 heights without landorus, magearna and standard broken shit, but you do make good plays as your replays show^^ Good luck with your future teams and see ya!

Hey man, thanks for the rate! Sash Nidoking would certainly help with lead greninja and landorus, but it would turn nidoking into more of a suicide lead which I don't think would work on this team. I think I would miss the power when facing balanced teams, and being brought down to sash means it would be unable to do anything after turn 1 which is not something I want for this particular team. Energy ball Victini is a very cool idea, and I think I might indeed try this out. The only time I would really miss brick break is maybe vs a tyranitar, but I think I could play around that. The surprise ko on Quagsire would certainly help vs stall, thanks for the suggestion