SM OU Para Veil

[Krotanix]

Introduction
[Edit to add a little personal introduction]

Hello all!
I'm a Pokemon fan since gen 1 when I was 11 y/o but stopped playing after Yellow until X/Y and didn't play PVP until SM. I've been intermitently active on PSD for a bit more than a year now and I always loved to run uncommon teams. My all time peak was slightly over 1600's and I usually play around low 1400's and high 1500's. I recently started watchind content creators and taking competitive battling more seriously so I hope/expect to reach 1700's sometime in the near future. I'm rather active on reddit under the same username.

After many though battles against rain, I wanted to use some kind of weather control. I thought of Alolan Ninetales because it could outspeed the main rain components (Pelipper, Swampert-M and Kingdra) while hitting them with a 4x weakness in Freeze Dry. I also wanted something fresh. My initial idea was to build a HO Veil but after some iterations it became more a balanced or bulky offense team which I had some great bettles with. The idea behind the team is to protect Ninetales with Chansey and Zapdos, paralyze fast threats and get some damage on them. Then get Aurora Veil up and set up with the offensive core (Lando, Scizor-M and Keldeo).

I went back to 1500's from 1200 in a few hours, what's a good feat for me. My all-time peak has been above 1600 but it never lasted long.

Some replays:

- Back to 1500: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-835097617
- Lando's power: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-835015456
- Against Trick Room (Veil is really good to stall TR): https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-834893465
- Against rain: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-834871314


The Team

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 56 HP / 196 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aurora Veil
- Hail
- Freeze-Dry
- Hidden Power [Fire]​

This comes in handy for weather control and get some residual damage on foes. 196 SpA to OHKO Pelipper and Kingdra, max speed and the rest of EV go to get some bulk. HP Fire is here as a placeholder to deal with Kartana/Ferrothorn as a last resort if everything else failed. I might change it to HP Ground to better deal with Heatran (2HKO) depending on the feedback you give me. I want to keep away from Hypnosis as it's so unreliable.

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost​

The defensive paralyzer wall of the team. 60 Spe to outspeed any unboosted Magearna and Pelipper. I decided to run HP Ice over Defog to punish Zygarde to setup or switch into Zapdos Also because I can't paralyze ground types so I need a way to get rid of them before it's too late. And I kind of deal with hazards with 2 flying mons and 1 steel. Once the main physical threats have been paralyzed (I'm watching at you, Kartana and Jirachi), I can sac him to get my other mon in fresh.

Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave
- Wish​

The Special paralyzer of the team. His goal is not to stall special attackers but to para and wear them down, and wish switch if possible. I switch into Scizor or Lando if I expect Knock Off (or might even go for the sac and Seismic Toss back) and into Zapdos if there is a fighting attack coming. Besides Wish pass, Chansey is very good at stalling weather or Trick Room, specially if used behind Veil.

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch​

I decided to run SD and max Atk because I don't need the extra bulk behind Veil. Besides that, quite standard set. I use him to get some chip damage early on and for late game setup sweeps.

Keldeo @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind​

Standard Keldeo set. Icy Wind is a must to try to slow down unparalyzed threats late game. I really needed the extra fire resist because of Scizor and Ninetales, and this guy here checks Heatran pretty good.

Landorus-Therian @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fly
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake​

I went for an offensive variant with Lando here. I don't need rocks because I can hit almost everything super hard and pokemons that would OHKO me like Alakazam-M aren't a threat if paralyzed or behind Veil. Nobody expects Stone Edge on Z-Fly Lando so this also allows for many funny moments.


Conclusion


The offensive core of this team synergizes very good, covering each other's weaknesses. Same applies to the defensive + Ninetales core, which messes a lot with my opponent. Thanks to that I can hard switch multiple times without suffering too much. This also allows the team to punish the turns my opponent takes to set up hazards.
I haven't found many pokemons that can single handedly destroy my team, but making a perfect team is impossible. Some known threats to this team are:
- Mega Charizard-X. After 1 Dragon Dance, there's not much I can do to stop it. Just hope he gets the para on Zapdos (30% chance). If I don't wear him down before he sets up, the game is almost over.
- Tapu Lele. The only way I can deal with it is to paralyze it with Chansey or get a Knock Off from Scizor in the switch in.
- Not big threats but mons that need a special treatment to prevent them to break my team are Tangrowth, Serperior, Clefable with fire move, Celesteela and Greninja with HP Fire and/or Gunk Shot.


I'd like to hear from you what do you think about not haveing hazards control and running HP Fire on Ninetales./u]

Importable

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 56 HP / 196 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aurora Veil
- Hail
- Freeze-Dry
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost

Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave
- Wish

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch

Keldeo @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind

Landorus-Therian @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fly
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

 

[Krotanix]

Hey all,

I felt that I needed some speed control over scarf users, so I made some slight modifications to the team that make it easier to control the flow of the battle:

- Alolan Ninetales. Changed HP Fire to HP Ground. I feel like my main counter is Heatran, so now if I hit him with ground in the switch in I can just KO the next turn unless he's SpD invested.

- Keldeo. Changed Leftovers for Choice Scarf, Calm Mind for HP Fire and Scald for Hydro Pump. EVs to speed and SpA with 4EV to SpD. Now it hits harder and allow to outspeed almost anything. No more Scarf Blacephalons destroying my team and I gain some really REALLY needed help to deal with Charizard-Y and Scizor.

- Landorus. Changed Swords Dance to Stealth Rock. I was originally not going for rocks with this team but Swords Dance was just not used, so why not. This is also a nice add to the team as I found myself dealing 90% damage many times, and now this situations should become KOs.