[OU RMT] A standard offensive team up for Rate!

[rtc3]

Hey there, I'm kinda new to 4th gen, but I've been battling competitively since ADV, on Netbattle :) This is the team I've been laddering with on Shoddy recently. It started out really well, and brought me to a rating of ~1390 with ease. I seem to have hit my ceiling at that point though, since this team can't seem to break past 1420. :| Yeah I know, that's pitiful compared to most of you but hey, I'm willing to learn. And of course, I have you guys to (hopefully) help me out! :D

(sorry, no pics for now, though I'm sure you all know these pokes :P)

THE TEAM:

Azelf @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Flamethrower
- Explosion
- Stealth Rock
- Psychic

Just a standard Azelf lead, for a standard OU team. His job is to set up SR, and to set my tempo for the match. I have FT over Taunt though, for coverage since I'd rather not kill my Azelf off earlygame; he makes for good fodder/exploder later on. Usually after SRing, I switch immediately to Celebi who proceeds to Twave around, supporting my team.

Heatran (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Earth Power
- Explosion

Scarftran, the most standard poke on this awfully standard team. He's arguably the best revenge killer in the game right now, and it's good to note that though Skymin may go Uber, Scarftrans will still see lots of use due to all the Outraging dragons and Swords Dancing Scizors. And NPing Infernapes. And SDing Lucarios. And-well you get the point. As long as he's played carefully (like not switching him in on a Close Combat), he's gonna do really well in most matches. Theoretically he should work well as a special sweeper midgame, with his nice speed and sp attack, and since I have Celebi to clear bulky waters and Scizor for Blisseys, but I haven't really gotten much use for him outside of being a revenge killer.

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP/162 Spd/96 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Yup, a relatively speedy SubCMCune. Can switch in on a lot of stuff such as Heatran, Gyara, Mence. Then I put up a Sub, and proceed to CM up and wreak havoc. This guy has an especially fun time if I manage to take out the opponent's Blissey. He worked so well for me before, when my opponents had no idea how to handle him. But now with all the tougher matches, he isn't nearly as effective, and I'm even debating whether to just use a more bulky version or the all out CM LO version. Also, as of now I'm using HP Elec over IB, to prevent bulky waters from ruining his sweep. I'm willing to change it to IB if someone can bring up some good reasons on why I should do so. Enemy dragons switch out fearing IB, but when they realize I don't, Cune would already have 2-3 CMs, enabling him to finish them off with HP Elec/Surf,, taking SR into account.

Salamence (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/180 Def/78 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Roost

I love Bulkymence. His job is to switch in on physical threats and scare them away , DDing up as they switch out. His effectiveness hasn't waned, even against the better players I've gone up against, such as M_Dragon. Roost gives him even more survivability, and helps outstall some pokes. EQ is for steels, DC over Outrage so I don't get screwed over when I need to switch out. If it's lategame and I have SR up, and this guy still has decent health, I've got a really good chance of winning the match.

Scizor (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 112 HP/252 Atk/16 Spd/130 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- X-Scissor
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower

I used Skiddle (iirc)'s spread for this SD Scizor. Do I even have to explain what this guy does? SD up and attack relentlessly, switch out if there's a counter . If there's no counter/it's dead, good. ;) I'm not sure whether to stick with Superpower or switch to BB, like everyone's doing. Unless it's lategame, he doesn't stay in too long, and I'm supposed to have weakened the enemy's team sufficiently by then; a superpower for any steel still (lol) around, and a +1 BP for everyone else.

Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP/194 Def/64 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Thunder Wave
- Recover
- Grass Knot
- Earth Power

Standard walling Celebi, with Twave over Leech Seed. Twave is to help Mence/Suicune/Scizor sweep better, and is just damn helpful in general. It also helps against Scarftrans who switch in. The paralysis allows me to finish them off with Earth Power, instead of getting fried by Fire Blast. Recover is to supplement his walling capabilities, GK and EP are for good coverage. I believe all teams should have at least one wall/tank to fall back on when under heavy assault, and that's why this guy is here. Btw, the Speed EVs are enough to outspeed max speed Scizor. I lost once because a Jolly CB Scizor with like 2% health caught me off guard with U-turn. :|

CONCLUSION:

Alright, most of my losses with this team have been against stall. I win around 60% of the time against Balanced teams and a nice 80% against Offensive teams (just rough estimates, lol). This team is currently at 52 wins, 20 losses- a 72% winning percentage. As I've said, that's pitiful compared to most of you, but that's what this RMT thread is for.

What I like about this team is that it doesn't have one poke who's supposed to win battles; it has three- Salamence, Suicune, and Scizor. (I was gonna do something like Triangle Offense: The SSS Postulate for the title, but I thought better of it. Way too corny >_<) Any of the three can be the hero in any given match. It just depends on the enemy's team and how well I've played during the battle.

Well that's it, rate away! All constructive criticism/suggestions/comments
will be appreciated. ^_^

 

[Sapientia]

Suicune weaks are quite common at offensive teams and offensive sets are a threat for you as I do not think Celebi can stop it very well with its Ice Beam weak and also all other Pokemon can not do anything against it. And Suicune has a quite easy chance to set against Heatran. And, to be honest, I would not use scarfed Heatran in an offenisve Team because it gives too easy set up chances for Gyarados and Salamence and sometimes even for scizor. It is also too slow to revengekill any Speedbooster who are a real threat for every offensive team. You can't do anything against empoleon after agillity. And he can easy use agillity againt Heatrans Hidden Power, whats why I dislike Choiced Pokemon at Sweeper teams, but I know that you need a scarfed one as deoxys is uber now.
Scarfed Jirachi could (i use could because I never played it myself) be an amazing one, because it's faster then +1 gyarados and salamence and +2 empoleon and metagross and it resists dragon, steel and normal. With Thunderbolt and Ice Punch it can ohkot Gyarados and Salamence, Hidden Power Fire screws over Scizor and in the last slot a move against lucario like psychic or drain punch (if one of them can ohko) would be nice. Empoleon can be revengekilled by Thunderbolt and Metagross is still dangerours but doesn't outspeed and dislikes Thunderbolt.
So i'd use jirachi>heatran, even though you still can't do much against suicune, but use thunderbolt from the faster jirachi

 

[chenman333]

I'll just quickly go in here and say IB>HP Electric simply for coverages sake. Water is weak to three types: Dragon Grass Water. Ice hits 2/3 of those super effective, while HP Electric will only hit one. Sure you are walled by bulky waters, but no.1 they can't do jack to you and no. 2 you have Celebi to deal with most of them.