Hello!
So my name is Arcato; I started playing Gen 3 OU about a year ago if memory serves me right, and eventually put together this team. For most of this past year, this has been the only team I used because it has put in the best results, leaving me in a strange position where I'm doing quite well with it but have basically no experience with any other team. I find I have issues with special offense, really bulky teams that I just can't punch through, and electric types if Celebi dies. I've been loving Gen 3 OU, and I figured now is a good a time as any to officially dip my toe into the ADV community proper. So here we go! (Also, please enjoy my little drawings!)
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Focus Punch
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
Functioning both as my lead and my best wallbreaker, I decided to use banded T-tar. The rest of my team needs the immediate power this guy can bring to the table, as special walls can be very tough to get through without him. While I have been using Celebi and Porygon2 to hamper the physical walls that stuff it, Focus Punch has been a great tool to rip chunks of health off of incoming Swamperts, Suicunes, and Skarms. I do find it hard to find entry points though, which leads to it rarely making as much progress as I feel it should be making.
Porygon2 @ Leftovers
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
Porygon2 serves a very important role in counter-trapping opposing Dugtrios, which is especially important for T-tar and Celebi. I've also found that, despite its overall passivity, it serves as a pretty great blanket physical switch-in on this team to things like Flygon, T-tar, Aero, and Mence. It's nice to have a second bolt-beam users on the team to hit Skarm and fliers when Starmie isn't in position, and spreading T-wave is great. I've found it falters against slower, bulkier teams which can handle its paralysis-spreading and can shrug off its attacks. I love this little guy :D
Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 76 SpD / 180 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Psychic
Celebi is my best switch-in to Zapdos, and it's not close. I needed a Zapdos answer, along with some other criteria that I can't remember, and Celebi is basically my only linchpin against it. That being said, I love running 3 attacks + seed. Leech seed is a great progress maker against bulkier mons, and catching opposing Skarm and Forretress off guard with HP Fire feels amazing. This is also my default option to handle Mag, which is...fine? Mag can chunk me pretty significantly though, which can make getting value hard later on. Opposing CM Celebi can be very frustrating switch-ins though, and specially bulky mons can stall out Leech Seed PP, which feels bad. Sometimes I do wish I had baton pass, but overall I feel like the set works for this team.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Toxic
- Protect
- Roar
It's the basic Skarm set, what more needs to be said? It does everything it needs to do, although as mentioned earlier, electric types can be a little bit of an issue when I only have one reliable check to them (Jolteon being the exception, Porygon handles it quite well). But yeah, the spikes help wear things down for T-tar and Metagross. It's my best answer for Metagross, choice-locked Aero, Snorlax, physical Menc, etc....it's Skarmory.
Metagross @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Agility Metagross rocks. This is my late-game sweeper, and it partners with Starmie in the cleaner role. Swapping out Explosion for Rock Slide is the most recent change I've made to this team, and overall I really appreciate that change. Even though it leaves me unable to punch through Swampert, being able to nail Zap and flying types more reliably that Meteor Mash is great. And even without Explosion, the flinch chance has come in handy chipping down some bulkier mons. This being my only rock resist is a tad rough though, as I really want to preserve health on it.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
Finally, the slot on this team I've been the most iffy on. And that's strange, because Starmie is really useful! It's a fantastic late-game cleaner, and it can just run through teams that can't handle it. Additionally, it's great into Skarm and fills a needed role as a rapid spinner. It also checks the bulky waters like Suicune and Milotic. That being said, I find myself getting frustrated at how entirely useless it is into specially bulky teams, and how easily it gets chipped down. It provides a great entry point for Snorlax and Blissey, which is really rough. I also don't have an easy time getting rid of Gengar with this team, as I don't have a pursuit trapper. I've considered swapping Starmie out for Claydol to add a rock resist and some longevity, but having a water type is also great.
So yeah, this team has clearly performed well for me, but considering that it's really all I've used I don't know what could be working better. I find myself having issues with strong special threats and calm minders like Raikou, Suicune, and Celebi. I know Raikou isn't great, but I've found myself completely unable to handle it multiple times. I'm still relatively green around the ADV OU scene, and I have no idea if my team is good or if I'm doing well in spite of it.
Any and all feedback is appreciated! I love this meta and I'm looking forward to learning more about it. Watching Gen 3 OU vids by Jimothy Cool and even older gen vids in general by Big Yellow have really helped me fall in love with ADV, and I'm so impressed with the tremendous amount of time and energy people have committed to this tier over the years.
Thanks for your time!
Here's proof of peak btw:
So my name is Arcato; I started playing Gen 3 OU about a year ago if memory serves me right, and eventually put together this team. For most of this past year, this has been the only team I used because it has put in the best results, leaving me in a strange position where I'm doing quite well with it but have basically no experience with any other team. I find I have issues with special offense, really bulky teams that I just can't punch through, and electric types if Celebi dies. I've been loving Gen 3 OU, and I figured now is a good a time as any to officially dip my toe into the ADV community proper. So here we go! (Also, please enjoy my little drawings!)
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Focus Punch
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Bug]
Functioning both as my lead and my best wallbreaker, I decided to use banded T-tar. The rest of my team needs the immediate power this guy can bring to the table, as special walls can be very tough to get through without him. While I have been using Celebi and Porygon2 to hamper the physical walls that stuff it, Focus Punch has been a great tool to rip chunks of health off of incoming Swamperts, Suicunes, and Skarms. I do find it hard to find entry points though, which leads to it rarely making as much progress as I feel it should be making.
Porygon2 @ Leftovers
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
Porygon2 serves a very important role in counter-trapping opposing Dugtrios, which is especially important for T-tar and Celebi. I've also found that, despite its overall passivity, it serves as a pretty great blanket physical switch-in on this team to things like Flygon, T-tar, Aero, and Mence. It's nice to have a second bolt-beam users on the team to hit Skarm and fliers when Starmie isn't in position, and spreading T-wave is great. I've found it falters against slower, bulkier teams which can handle its paralysis-spreading and can shrug off its attacks. I love this little guy :D
Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 76 SpD / 180 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Psychic
Celebi is my best switch-in to Zapdos, and it's not close. I needed a Zapdos answer, along with some other criteria that I can't remember, and Celebi is basically my only linchpin against it. That being said, I love running 3 attacks + seed. Leech seed is a great progress maker against bulkier mons, and catching opposing Skarm and Forretress off guard with HP Fire feels amazing. This is also my default option to handle Mag, which is...fine? Mag can chunk me pretty significantly though, which can make getting value hard later on. Opposing CM Celebi can be very frustrating switch-ins though, and specially bulky mons can stall out Leech Seed PP, which feels bad. Sometimes I do wish I had baton pass, but overall I feel like the set works for this team.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Toxic
- Protect
- Roar
It's the basic Skarm set, what more needs to be said? It does everything it needs to do, although as mentioned earlier, electric types can be a little bit of an issue when I only have one reliable check to them (Jolteon being the exception, Porygon handles it quite well). But yeah, the spikes help wear things down for T-tar and Metagross. It's my best answer for Metagross, choice-locked Aero, Snorlax, physical Menc, etc....it's Skarmory.
Metagross @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Agility Metagross rocks. This is my late-game sweeper, and it partners with Starmie in the cleaner role. Swapping out Explosion for Rock Slide is the most recent change I've made to this team, and overall I really appreciate that change. Even though it leaves me unable to punch through Swampert, being able to nail Zap and flying types more reliably that Meteor Mash is great. And even without Explosion, the flinch chance has come in handy chipping down some bulkier mons. This being my only rock resist is a tad rough though, as I really want to preserve health on it.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
Finally, the slot on this team I've been the most iffy on. And that's strange, because Starmie is really useful! It's a fantastic late-game cleaner, and it can just run through teams that can't handle it. Additionally, it's great into Skarm and fills a needed role as a rapid spinner. It also checks the bulky waters like Suicune and Milotic. That being said, I find myself getting frustrated at how entirely useless it is into specially bulky teams, and how easily it gets chipped down. It provides a great entry point for Snorlax and Blissey, which is really rough. I also don't have an easy time getting rid of Gengar with this team, as I don't have a pursuit trapper. I've considered swapping Starmie out for Claydol to add a rock resist and some longevity, but having a water type is also great.
So yeah, this team has clearly performed well for me, but considering that it's really all I've used I don't know what could be working better. I find myself having issues with strong special threats and calm minders like Raikou, Suicune, and Celebi. I know Raikou isn't great, but I've found myself completely unable to handle it multiple times. I'm still relatively green around the ADV OU scene, and I have no idea if my team is good or if I'm doing well in spite of it.
Any and all feedback is appreciated! I love this meta and I'm looking forward to learning more about it. Watching Gen 3 OU vids by Jimothy Cool and even older gen vids in general by Big Yellow have really helped me fall in love with ADV, and I'm so impressed with the tremendous amount of time and energy people have committed to this tier over the years.
Thanks for your time!
Here's proof of peak btw:
