SM OU RMT Paralyze then Capitalize

[TabooTapeworm]

After a recent string of bad matches and long tumble down the ladder (went from mid 1600 to 1200's), I decided to try creating a team of the Pokémon that I was most familiar with and knew the ins and outs of to haul myself back up the ladder. That’s how I settled on this team which broguth me back up to mid 1500s and climbing. The goal of this team is to cripple with paralysis, then set up with a bulky sweeper or just outright win with scarf Nihilego. Let me introduce the members:

Kyurem-Black @ Icium Z
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature

• Freeze Shock
• Fusion Bolt
• Ice Beam
• Earth Power

Nothing groundbreaking here. Kyureum’s excellent coverage combined with his Subzero Slammer coming off a Freeze Shock can break almost any wall. He’s usually my lead as he can exploit weaknesses and force switches. Against non scarfed Lando - T, He can outspeed and OHKO with Ice Beam. A lot of times, I won't even have to predict. Sometimes opponents will see the ice beam coming, switch into Ferrothorn on the Ice beam, then you can KO with the Z right after. Kyurem can take a Dazzling gleam from Koko and KO with Slammer. He also takes a dark pulse from Specs Gren and OHKOs with Fusion Bolt. Late game, after his Z move is burned, the 2 turn Freeze shock can even an option, like when you expect your opponent to switch into a slow wall.

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 248HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature

• Calm Mind
• Moonblast
• Soft Boiled
• Thunder Wave

A bulky Phys Def Clef provides valuable T-Wave support for your set up sweepers. Sometimes a turn or two of full para can be the difference between a win and a loss. The only ones who don’t fear a T-wave are Zygarde, Lando -T, and Excadrill. Clef walls the first two and Celesteela handles Excadrill. His excellent Physical bulk allows him to take hits while calm mind boosting his SpD. Because of his Magic Guard ability, even Toxic or leech seed can’t stop him from setting up.

Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Relaxed Nature

• Leech Seed
• Protect
• Heavy Slam
• Flamethrower

Standard Celesteela. Pretty much walls most physical attackers. He only fears fire and electric attacks which complements Zygarde really well. He can tank Fairy moves aimed at Zygarde and Kyurem, steel moves aimed at Nihilego and Clef, and immunities to ground and Poison means he can switch in against almost any physical attackers, leech seed provides recovery against anything but grass which he can just burn out of the way with Flamethrower. Additionally, flamethrower can burn physical attackers or help wear down opposing walls in stall wars. He gets rid of mons like Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn which attempt to stop Nihilego sweeps.

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe
Bold Nature

• Discharge
• Roost
• Hidden Power Ice
• Defog

This guy comes in against Lando, Kartana, Fighting types, etc and is easily able to tank hits while providing additional para support through Discharge and Static. However he does fear Ice Punch from Mega Medicham. HP Ice hits ground types, and of course my designated Defogger.

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 188 HP / 140 Atk / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature

• Substitute
• Dragon Dance
• Thousand Arrows
• Extreme Speed

Our first late game sweeper. Once the likes of Tapu Bulu, Clef, and Tangela are gone, this guy has free reign to set up and sweep. He sets up easily against passive mons like Ferrothorn and Chansey. Thanks to all the para support, he can even set up against mons he’s not supposed to in a tight squeeze. Thousand Arrows hits literally every mon.

Nihilego @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

• Power Gem
• Sludge Wave
• Thunderbolt
• Stealth Rock

Nihilego has two uses here. An early stealth rocker and a late game sweeper. I used to run HP Ice but I’ve got enough Ice coverage between Zapdos and Kyurem, and Stealth Rock is just too good to pass up. Early game, I usually switch him in against a passive mon that’s trying to toxic or a fire mon like Zard, or Volcarona then set up rocks on the switch. The power gem is too predictable early game, so you save that for the late game sweep when they have lost switch ins. Because he’s scarfed, his HP doesn’t matter so much. As long as he has enough to come in against hazards once.

Threats:
Mega Mawhile
Mega Medicham
Mega Alakazam
Bolt Beam Magearna
Unaware Quagsire

While most physical mons are no problem, we do struggle a bit two: Mega Mawhile with Thunder Punch and Mega Medicham with ice Punch. Basically for those two, we have to get off a para with Zap or Clef. On the special side, sweepers like Zam can be a threat. While he doesn’t particularly have SE moves he can tear us apart with, we just don’t have many good switch ins. Lele also usually gets a kill, but he’s easy to revenge kill since scarf Nihilego can outspeed and unsuspecting opponents will stay in trying to OHKO with Psychic. Bolt Beam on Magearna is tough. I thought about making Zap or Clef a special wall but everything they have to check is physical. Also, I haven’t really come up against stall too much so I’ll have to see how that matchup goes, especially against unaware Quagsire.

Replays:
Late Game Sweep http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-770560644
Ice Shard Mind Games http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-770077022
Bad prediction first turn, but Kyurem reverses it http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-770187415
Spreading Paralysis https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-771946964
Zapdos Stall Wars http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-770052702
Vs. Rain http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-770046145
Vs. the new Zeraora http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-770030280

 

[fran17]

hey there, cool team, but with the wekaness you already stated i think you have a poor matchup againist taunt+waterium keldeo and to rain builds as well. also having the rocks on your scarf mon is a bit annoying because once your opponent knows that it is scarf rocks nihi you lose momentum.

i would start with chansey over clefable. this shift will help you more againist the likes of magerna, volcarona, kazam+magnezone, while also giving you the utility to setup rocks and keep t-wave as the purpose of the team!!

set

Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 12 SpD
Bold Nature
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled

then i would go for ferrothorn over celesteela. this change will give you the utlity of spikes and koff while keeping in check almost the same threats as celesteela did. also ferro has t-wave so it will keep up the spirit of the team! it will also help you with your rain matchup

set

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 164 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
Sassy Nature
- Spikes
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave

the last change of mons i have is mega aerodactyl over nihilego. you don't need nihi anymore since you can check volcarona with chansey, you miss the mega in your team and dactyl with hazard support can be a really annoying mon, especially in late game as it outspeeds almost everything bar some scarf users i don't even see anymore in ou, and will also help you againist medicham as you can chip it with pursuit

set

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Aerial Ace
- Ice Fang
- Pursuit

now i have some minor changes for you. heat wave over hp ice on zapdos, this will help you againist scizor and mawile and you already have ice moves on dactyl and kyurem. about kyurem i would go for roost over earth power, this will give you a way to recover hps on a forced switch in case you have low hps. oh and on zygarde you might think of toxic over extreme speed to have a better matchup againist stall team, and it will chip out tangrowth and tapu bulu!

that's all i hope this was useful :) btw i know that rocks+spikes with a defog user seems dumb, but you can pressure the opponent team in early game with that or you can just setup hazards if your opponent's rocker is dead

 

[Lambo_murphy44]

I would say a quick minor change

Stealth rock>cm on clef which gives you more reliable rocks because locking a choiced mon into rocks can be a problem. You often want to go for an attack to prevent setup or catch a switch but then you have this dilemma of rocks or attack, and choosing wrong can really screw up your game.

Foulplay/hpice>stealth rock on nihilego because rocks are freed up. I wouldve suggested t spikes (and they still are an option) but if you want to twave everything tspikes could get in the way of that