So this is my attempt at a balanced (and somewhat bulky) offensive team based around Mega Charizard X. If you've read my other RMTs, you've realized by now that I'm absolutely in love with Mega Charizard X and can't seem to build another team (I've tried, promise!).
The idea behind this team (as opposed to my last attempt, which was an HO team) was to build a solid core, that I could support with whatever was needed. I'm still not sure how well this has turned out. I'll include a team-building section so you can see what stages I went through to end up where I am. I'm not 100% satisfied, but I think many of my losses have been because I'm still learning what coverage moves most 'mons carry - which means I stupidly lose some of my key team members because I think they're safe when they're not. That's my bad, not the team's fault :(
IMPORTANT: While I was testing this team (and beginning the write up process) I was accused by two people (if it were only one I'd have dismissed it) of stealing this team from a past top-player. I didn't write it down, so I don't know who they think I stole this team from. But I want any potential raters to know that I developed this team as a result of a LOT of playtesting, not by copying someone else (well, the EV spreads and sometimes moves were taken from Smogon - but not from some player that I know of). I just recently got back into competitive battling and don't want people thinking I just blatantly steal "top teams."
Now onto the team!
So I definitely wanted to start with Charizard (Mega X) as my basis. So I knew I would have a very powerful physical Dragon/Fire type on my side. I've long known that Fire/Water/Grass has been a popular "core" for pokemon to form a decent set of resists, but (again, relatively new getting back to pokemon) I've also heard that Dragon/Fairy/Steel is also good. Well, Charizard covered Dragon and Fire, but I decided to focus on the F/W/G core (spoiler alert, I ended up trying to do both).
I next thought of Ferrothorn as I definitely needed a stealth rock setter (and possibly spikes) to allow Charizard to wreak havoc. I hadn't decided on a Charizard set at this point, but knew that he had the power (even unboosted) to deal damage if needed. So I added Ferrothorn as a potential team member. It was also nice that his 4x weakness to Fire was covered by Charizard. And that Ferrothorn, in turn, could at least check some strong Water/Ground threats to Charizard.
This was the point were I realized that using these two 'mons completed 2/3 of BOTH the F/W/G and D/S/F cores, so (for better or worse) I decided that Azumarill would be the best way to round out BOTH cores in one 'mon. At first I was worried that I was making this choice for just "on paper" reasons, but Azumarill really does serve to stop Keldeo (who scares the crap out of the rest of my team) and various fast dragon types. I still can't quite decide on my item choice for Azu - I tried Sitrus Berry + Belly Drum to try to add another win condition, but I rarely use it successfully (or at all) which makes me wonder if Choice Band isn't the way to go.
So I had what felt like a strong core, but I had no idea what else to add. I clearly needed a rapid spinner or defogger (as my main 'mon - Charizard - can't stand entry hazards), and I also wanted a revenge killer. Other than that, my only goal was to avoid compounding team weaknesses.
I decided to try Excadrill as my rapid spinner. But I wasn't confident he could do the job reliably due to his speed, and I didn't want to Sash or Scarf him (not sure why at the time, but I've been happy with the decision). So how could I make him a more reliable spinner?
I decided to add a Sand-aspect to my team. I added Hippowdon because I've repeatedly seen him fill the role of a tank well (and he could compliment the tankiness of my Ferrothorn at least for fire). It was here where I realized the both Hippo and Ferro could put out Stealth Rock. I made the choice to give Hippo SR, in order to free up Ferro for Thunder Wave (in case fast attackers were a threat that Toxic couldn't deal with).
I looked at my team and realized I had absolutely no answer to strong ground-type attacks. I could (at best) switch in with scary amounts of damage. Once Hippo and Ferro were gone, though, my team got wrecked by strong ground attacks. I decided I needed a flying (or levitating) 'mon.
I tried LO Tornadus for a while, and I actually sometimes think I should go back to it (for his Regenerator ability and flying attack). But for now I've landed on (honestly, no pun intended) Landorus-T. He makes a great revenge killer and also provides bug/rock coverage for attacks while making a nice switch in to electric AND ground type attacks.
My team (with flawless prediction, which I would never claim to have) can switch in safely to thunder wave, will-o-wisp, and toxic. The problem is that this relies on prediction (but so much in this game does). The team also resists many common attacking types. I honestly feel as thought many of my losses have been due to player error, but if there's anything to fix about this team, I'd love to hear about it!
I next thought of Ferrothorn as I definitely needed a stealth rock setter (and possibly spikes) to allow Charizard to wreak havoc. I hadn't decided on a Charizard set at this point, but knew that he had the power (even unboosted) to deal damage if needed. So I added Ferrothorn as a potential team member. It was also nice that his 4x weakness to Fire was covered by Charizard. And that Ferrothorn, in turn, could at least check some strong Water/Ground threats to Charizard.
This was the point were I realized that using these two 'mons completed 2/3 of BOTH the F/W/G and D/S/F cores, so (for better or worse) I decided that Azumarill would be the best way to round out BOTH cores in one 'mon. At first I was worried that I was making this choice for just "on paper" reasons, but Azumarill really does serve to stop Keldeo (who scares the crap out of the rest of my team) and various fast dragon types. I still can't quite decide on my item choice for Azu - I tried Sitrus Berry + Belly Drum to try to add another win condition, but I rarely use it successfully (or at all) which makes me wonder if Choice Band isn't the way to go.
So I had what felt like a strong core, but I had no idea what else to add. I clearly needed a rapid spinner or defogger (as my main 'mon - Charizard - can't stand entry hazards), and I also wanted a revenge killer. Other than that, my only goal was to avoid compounding team weaknesses.
I decided to try Excadrill as my rapid spinner. But I wasn't confident he could do the job reliably due to his speed, and I didn't want to Sash or Scarf him (not sure why at the time, but I've been happy with the decision). So how could I make him a more reliable spinner?
I decided to add a Sand-aspect to my team. I added Hippowdon because I've repeatedly seen him fill the role of a tank well (and he could compliment the tankiness of my Ferrothorn at least for fire). It was here where I realized the both Hippo and Ferro could put out Stealth Rock. I made the choice to give Hippo SR, in order to free up Ferro for Thunder Wave (in case fast attackers were a threat that Toxic couldn't deal with).
I looked at my team and realized I had absolutely no answer to strong ground-type attacks. I could (at best) switch in with scary amounts of damage. Once Hippo and Ferro were gone, though, my team got wrecked by strong ground attacks. I decided I needed a flying (or levitating) 'mon.
I tried LO Tornadus for a while, and I actually sometimes think I should go back to it (for his Regenerator ability and flying attack). But for now I've landed on (honestly, no pun intended) Landorus-T. He makes a great revenge killer and also provides bug/rock coverage for attacks while making a nice switch in to electric AND ground type attacks.
My team (with flawless prediction, which I would never claim to have) can switch in safely to thunder wave, will-o-wisp, and toxic. The problem is that this relies on prediction (but so much in this game does). The team also resists many common attacking types. I honestly feel as thought many of my losses have been due to player error, but if there's anything to fix about this team, I'd love to hear about it!
THE TEAM!
Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Dragon Claw
- Roost
My main star, and the pokemon I probably enjoy too much. I honestly think my dedication to Char-X has cost me games, in that I've sacrificed other 'mons to let him set up when he was a bad counter to what was left on field. Live and learn. I went with the current spread because I wanted to maximize my attack and also keep decent speed. I didn't shoot for any specific speed-ties/outmatches (which is likely a mistake) but I figured going all out on speed/attack for a 'mon that I go out of my way to prepare to bring onto the field seemed like a decent choice (at the time). He lacks the somewhat common earth coverage to take care of Heatran, which hasn't screwed me over yet, but is something I worry about. I tend to do well protecting either Hippo (for general use) or Hippo+Exca for later in the game, so I often have an answer to Heatran, but it does suck to have to switch out a setup Charizard. I honestly have only used roost on a few occasions (typically Charizard either sweeps or dies because of my stupid mistakes) so I wonder if shouldn't just include EQ to beat Heatran and be done with it...
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
I can't totally explain it, but I really like Azumarill. I'm NOT, however, totally sold on this set/build for it. I intended for him to be a Keldeo/Dragon check (and ground/rock too, I guess) but ended up deciding to make him into a potential win condition with Belly Drum. While I've rarely had the chance to meaningfully Belly Drum, the Sitrus Berry has come in handy for it's (somewhat) unexpected recovery which has allowed me to check/force Keldeo out when they would have normally been confident in a KO on the second turn after switch in. As it stands, I find myself unsure if I want to switch Azu to a Choice Band (more damage, since I never seem to set up BD) or keep him as is for emergencies (in which case he can set up late game OR come in early and count on +25% HP if he isn't KOed first). I am heavily considering switching to choice band as mentioned above.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
Originally only on my team to set Stealth Rock, Ferro has become so much more. He works to switch into Water/Ground/Rock/Psychic/Fairy/whatever types of attacks as long as they're not fire. He can often then use the ongoing Sandstorm (see below) to get some chip damage while he either Leech Seed (to try to outlast - this works more often than I'd thought it would... I don't know if people just can't math right or I just get REALLY lucky, but leech seed saves Ferro a lot) or Thunder Wave to cripple a fast threat. He is often a sacrificial entry, but he accomplishes a lot for this team (including chip damage against physical attacks, AND the occasional gyro ball/power whip).
Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- Toxic
I had never used Hippo before this team, and I didn't think I ever would. But now, having used him, I love him all the more. Hippo is a default lead (unless the enemy seems like they might anti-lead, but even then Hippo can often do well). He gets the Sand going (chip damage/fun for Excadrill) and I actually find myself often relying on Toxic/EQ to surprise my opponent. Just today I managed to "surprise" toxic a switch in on first turn and I think that won me the game. Anyways, I decided on this move set initially because I was relying on a revenge killer to handle setup sweepers (I was initially thinking of using Scarf Ditto). By the time I decided against that, I'd used this set on Hippo so much that I had a hard time giving anything up for a phaze attack and decided to just leave it. Hippo works hard for this team switching into many special threats. In fact, I try to keep him healthy just so he can suicide Sand Stream later in case Excadrill has become my best chance at a win.
Excadrill @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
He was originally added to the team because he could Spin and seemed to work better than alternatives. But with the addition of Hippowdon (and Sand) he becomes a secondary win condition for the team. Thanks to Hippowdon's bulk, he is often available to switch into otherwise "dire" threats and AT LEAST get sand going. After that, I will either let Hippo die or switch in a sac 'mon and Excadrill can spin and then sweep (or just sweep) as needed. He's so fast in the sand that I've really enjoyed surprising some scarfers when I OHKO them. I have considered switching the LO for a balloon, because I have lost before because Exca gets OHKOed when he tries to spin. But that's rare and I think the LO damage is worth it.
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Knock Off
The last 'mon I settled on. His spot was previously filled by Tornadus-T but I felt the questionable accuracy of Hurricane (and Regenerator in general) didn't work well with the team. Still, I needed some answer to ground attacks as the rest of my team was either terrified or very scared of them. Landorus might not be the best answer, but he's a freaking great revenge killer AND can work for when I'm VERY confident a ground attack is coming. The team lacked a real revenge killer, and speed in general, so this works nicely. I've even had the U-turn+intimidate save me in unfavorable late-game 2v1s before. There's a lot to love about Landorus, but he certainly doesn't have the staying power of Tornadus-T over the course of the match. He also can't counter fighting types as well. But Intimidate is worth it's weight I think.
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CONCLUSION
I've had a lot of fun (mis-)playing this team, and I'm really sorry if people still think I stole it. I did straight-up steal some of the movesets (and all of the EV spreads) from Smogon, but I wasn't aware (until a day or two ago) that this was a popular or formerly well-known team setup. I hope that you can still help me improve and thanks for taking the time to read. This was an attempt at a relatively balanced team that can counter/check many opponents in OU. Thanks!
Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Dragon Claw
- Roost
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
Excadrill @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- Toxic
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Knock Off
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Dragon Claw
- Roost
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
Excadrill @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- Toxic
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Knock Off
