ORAS NU Deal With The Devil - #1onLadder

[Juancar_eng]

Deal With the Devil

Well, I'm a huge fan of the NU tier and last Week I decided to make some teams to climb on the ladder, but definetly this team is the best I did. Around 40Wins-1Lose. Let's see the team. ​

Team Preview

Now we have the team, but first of all, the proof of peak:

Team in Deph

Malamar @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Superpower
-Knock Off
-Psycho Cut
-Switcheroo

Malamar is the Pokemon on which I made my team, almost always Malamar uses a SpD set with rest but I personally like more the offensive scarf set. can easily sweep on late-game with Superpower, the main move. Knock off is the best dark move that you can use on him, hits darks and removes items. The last offensive move is Psycho cut because it helps a lot to beat the poison type like Weezing, Vileplume, Garbodor (no rocky helmet damage). you can use Rock Slide if you prefer to surprise Scyther but I do not like it. And finally the last move, Switcheroo, it helps a lot to defeat completely defensive teams and prevents pokemon make set-up.

Garbodor @ Rocky Helmet

Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 248 Hp / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
-Spikes
-Toxic Spikes
-Gunk Shot
-Haze

The next member of the team is Garbodor, the best user of Spikes and Toxic Spikes on the tier which works really well with Malamar when he try to sweep at the end. Also acts as a great physical wall which supported by the Rocky Helmet, prevents U-turn spammers and fighting Pokemons (Scyther, Primeape, Hariyama, Hitmonchan, Kangaskhan etc..) and is one of the few responses against Tauros, one of the greates threats of the Tier. Thanks to Aftermath and Rocky Helmet we can harm enough to the physical threat that we desire.

Charizard @ Choice Specs

Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
0 Atk IVs
Timid Nature
-Flamethrower
-Air Slash
-Focus Blast
-Overheat

Charizard, one of the greatest threats of the tier by the special side that can also be physical, which makes it a little more unpredictable than Pyroar for example, also has ground inmunity which I preferred rather than ghost. With Choice Specs can OHKO most offensive Pokemons. Flamethrower as 100% accuracy STAB move, Air Slash as second STAB helps weaken pokemon as Hariyama and Hitmonchan Assault Vest, Focus Blast is useful to hit Barbaracle and Kabutops which resist very well the two Charizard STABS and finally Overheat to do great damage. With Blaze this attack is devastating. Sliggo and Lanturn for example will stop completely.

Lanturn @ Leftovers

Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 248 Hp / 8 Def / 252 SpD
0 Atk IVs
Calm Nature
-Scald
-Volt Switch
-Heal Bell
-Toxic

Speaking of Lanturn, he is the next team member, acts as the special wall and thanks to its ability Volt Absorb perfectly stops Pokemon such as Rotom or Manectric and of course special threats as Swellow, Charizard, Pyroar or Magmortar (no earthquake). Scald is your main attack to burn oponents. Volt Switch helps a lot keeping the momentum all the time and finally has Toxic to hit other Lanturn or things like that and Heal Bell which helps the team so much. For example versus Vileplume's ability¬¬

Claydol @ Leftovers

Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 Hp / 120 Def / 140 SpD
0 Atk IVs
Bold Nature
-Rapid Spin
-Stealth Rock
-Earth Power
-Psyshock

Charizard is too weak to Stealth Rock, then I needed a Pokemon able to remove them and also to be able to set up my own rocks. There are only two possibilities, Claydol and Kabutops. I opted for Claydol as it is much more bulky. I use leftovers but Colbour berry is a viable option to resist dark moves. Earth power hits so hard common Stealth Rock setters like Rhydon or Steelix and finally Psyshock hits Mismagius and Rotom as both prevent you remove rocks.

Primeape @ Muscle Band

Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-U-turn
-Close Combat
-Earthquake
-Seed Bomb

Finally, the last member of the team, this monkey is always angry and cause many headaches, especially when the opponent thinks he has equipped one choice item. U-turn to hit psychics and keep the momentum, Close Combat because is the best STAB move and hits so hard. Now the coverage moves, I decided to use Eartquake because hits Gardbodor and you don't take damage of Rocky Helmet etc and finally Seed Bomb to defeat Unaware Quagsire, the best Malamar counter i guess.

Replays

Malamar Sweep: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nu-362135907
Seed Bomb: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nu-361273169
Malamar saves the day: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nu-361228795
High ladder: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nu-361251430

Have fun

Malamar (M) @ Choice Scarf [/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER]
[SIZE=4][COLOR=#000000][CENTER]Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Superpower
- Knock Off
- Psycho Cut
- Switcheroo

Garbodor (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Aftermath
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Gunk Shot
- Haze

Charizard (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Air Slash
- Focus Blast
- Overheat

Lanturn (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Volt Switch
- Heal Bell
- Toxic

Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 120 Def / 140 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Psyshock
- Earth Power

Primeape (M) @ Muscle Band
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Close Combat
- Seed Bomb
- Earthquake

​

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[PrinceLucian]

Hi Juancar, congratulations on your peak, Malamar+spikes is definitely one of the harder things to deal with on ladder,especially if opponent has no enough checks to it. Now lets take a look to the team, it looks pretty cool, but there is definitely some things that I would change right away.

-First two things I noticed when i looked at the team were: You have no normal resist, and youre running a Claydol set that I really despise(which is rocks+spin) and while it may work in some games,it puts a lot of pressure on Claydol to do a lot for the team, and as youre running specs Zard it cant recover with Roost so those 2 will suffer vs a decent player that knows how to pressure the spinner.

So first thing is option of choice to experiment with,because I will put 2 choices and you can leave one that performs better in games,but I think both can fit pretty decently.

>

This will give you a spinblocker,Psychic check,Normal immunity, and a Stealth rocker, even though it may seem as malamar is your psychic check, you were running scarf version so it is not, nearly every psychic pokemon runs Signal beam and your team basically drops to a lot of psychic types(CM Musharna with Signal beam especially) so it is definitely option to consider.Leftovers is chosen over colbur for longevity,and you have a decent knock off switchin in Garbodor,and I consider Haze garb as pretty cool option on your team.
Set:

Hide

Golurk @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Shadow Punch
- Earthquake
- Drain Punch

Second choice is experimenting with rhydon as its another decent normal resist, 252 hp/16 atk/240 spdef with adamant nature and EQ/rock blast/stealth rock/megahorn as moveset.

Next thing is, with Golurk as your rocker you will need a decent spinner, so my suggestion here is

>

You didnt have Choice band on primeape, and adamant life orb hitmonchan hits harder than primeape, of course it loses momentum in U-turn but it gives your team a decent wallbreaker and a strong priority in mach punch which gives you ability to deal with shell smashers that setup on Zard if you decide to still run choice specs on it, it also wears down malamars checks similar to what primeape did.Im gonna put an option between Stone Edge/Ice punch and if you decide to run hitmonchan,you should test both and decide which one fits your team more. Another hitmonchan set is AV chan, which would give some bulk added to your team, but Life orb is definitely more threatening to the teams and gives you stronger priority.
Set:

Hide

Hitmonchan (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat/Drain Punch
- Stone Edge/Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
- Rapid Spin

I dont really like the idea of Specs zard on more offensive teams like this so I recommend using Life Orb with fire blast,focus blast,air slash and Roost, this will give zard longevity and ability to change coverage and not to let your team in situation where you will need to sack half of your team to kill setup sweeper, so LO in this case will be pretty useful,and iirc Evan said specs Zard doesnt get you important Ohkoes so thats another thing to notice.

SPdefensive Lanturn is something that a lot more defensive team appreciates(Support from heal bell/Twave,its EV spread and so on..) so thats not something it recommend running on bulky offense, and in this case AV Offensive > Lefties defensive. This will also give your lanturn a spdef punch so it will still have enough bulk to take some hits, while having a good offensive presence with its nice coverage,its not the strongest pokemon but it hits enough and in a lot of cases for super effective damage.
Set:

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Lanturn @ Assault Vest
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 144 SpD / 112 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fire]/Signal Beam

And last,but not least, ill get back on beggining on team,and thats Malamar.Scarf malamar is a not that great set, and rest sleep talk is the best and most threatening set malamar can run, its literally a nightmare to balanced unprepared teams or in some case offense that doesnt pressure malamar enough, and a lot harder than deal with than scarf malamar which can get easily burned or whittled down pretty quickly, even tho it gives you a bit of a speed control , its not worth it as restalk will also give you a status absorber, better ghost check and better psychic check , Malamars spdef is quite impressive and its the best it can make off it.
Set:

Hide

Malamar @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Superpower
- Knock Off

Hope my changes helped you,I recommend to try them out and gl in future ^^

 

[Machineae]

Not much to say on how you could improve this, it's already a pretty solid team and you cover a great deal of things offensively/defensively. You have some interesting tech choices for items/move sets. It's nice to see things shaken up a lil.