SM Doubles OU All These Things That I've Done - a 1k RMT

talkingtree · Mar 15, 2017

~

Hey everyone, it's another 1k RMT, you know the deal. I wanted to take some time to reminisce a little bit and maybe get sappy but all of that will be in shoutouts because I also happened to build a team that I think is pretty great. I used this team to qualify for the recent Jirachi suspect test, and as it has Jirachi on the team, I won't be able to use it anymore and this is the perfect time to retire it. It may not have gotten a great record and it's far from flawless but so much of my teambuilding style is finding Pokemon and sets that I enjoy using, and it's sort of a bonus that this also happened to do fairly well.

Teambuilding Process

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I started with the idea of SubCurse Snorlax and Trick Room Jirachi, as having seen others use it, I wanted to try Snorlax; using Substitute seemed like a good idea to counteract the high amount of Z-Trick Room Bronzong that I had heard was on the suspect ladder. Jirachi provided the perfect support for this set and, as a bonus, let me use the Pokemon being suspected to help influence the opinions of myself and others.

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Next, I added Tapu Bulu for extra recovery for Snorlax and immediate power under Trick Room. This also helped Jirachi by weakening Earthquake and beating Landorus-T, and running an Assault Vest set meant I could have three quite specially bulky Pokemon that handled a large part of this specially based metagame.

At this point I stalled a little bit, I thought about adding Hoopa-U next and going with a full Trick Room build but the as a whole the team felt a little too formulaic and predictable, and I decided on a semi-room construction instead. Here I talked to Nido-Rus and he came up with the idea of turning this into a rain team, which would help with the Heatran and Charizard Y matchup while providing a solid fastmode and spread attacker.

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Kingdra was the rain sweeper of choice because it provided a solid Z-Move user and Ludicolo sort of conflicted with Tapu Bulu. Since I hadn’t used Pelipper yet, I wanted that as my rain setter. The Wide Guard support helped Snorlax and Tailwind support helped out Tapu Bulu to wallbreak by providing a second form of speed control.

Finally I needed a Mega, and one that had a decent matchup against Amoonguss, Aegislash, and Tapus, so Substitute Mega Gengar closed things off pretty well by forcing Aegislash into its Blade forme. This also took advantage of Pelipper’s U-turn by trapping foes that may try to switch into it like Amoonguss, Tapu Koko, Jirachi, opposing Tapu Bulu, and Milotic, all of which are either subbed on or OHKOed by Mega Gengar.

Sadly, in practice on my first alt during the first weekend, I realized that the Ferrothorn matchup was downright abysmal (a pretty big oversight for a rain team, I know), along with Celesteela being an issue and the weird Speed tiers failing to quite line up. It also played like separate halves of two different teams instead of one coherent team, so I made some pretty big changes.

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I scrapped the rain core and removed Mega Gengar whose Sub set proved pretty underwhelming. I also moved Snorlax from a Figy Berry set to a Leftovers one, which provided more reliable recovery, and added a Victini to take on those troublesome Steel-types that version one struggled with. Next up I looked for a Mega for the team, eventually settling on a bit of an unorthodox choice, as the most common Megas didn't really fit with the rest of the build.

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I definitely needed a teammate that could hold its own against both Landorus formes, Mega Gengar, and all Fire-types, especially Heatran. Mega Gyarados came in really clutch here, giving the team a secondary wincon and Intimidate support pre-Mega. Jirachi does a great job redirecting Grass- and Fairy-type moves for it and Tapu Bulu handled Electric-types, so all in all its checks were already mostly accounted for. Finally, I didn’t have Landorus-T so you can guess my last…

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The team was pretty reliant on somewhat obscure and unreliable Pokemon at this point and Assault Vest Landorus-T really tied it all together. The team was briefly triple AV with Z-Refresh Jirachi, but that only lasted one game and didn't work out very well. Instead, I elected for Bloom Doom Tapu Bulu and Choice Scarf Victini to give me a Z-Move user and a fastmode nuke, respectively. Tying up ends against Heatran, which was still a problem, Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, Zygarde, Tapu Koko, Hoopa-U, and Charizard Y, mixed Assault Vest Landorus-T really rounded out the team well and brought the team to its final version, with only a few minor tweaks as I laddered.

The Team

Snorlax @

This set is a fantastic sweeper that typically ends up winning more from its enormous bulk than its sheer offensive presence. I was initially tempted to run Pulverizing Pancake for the name alone, but being left with Giga Impact afterwards was a little too much hassle. Substitute and Curse were the main draws of this set, which allow Snorlax to set up in front of status users, mostly Bronzong and Amoonguss, and weaker attackers like Jirachi, Celesteela, and Milotic. Frustration was chosen as the STAB attack because I was anticipating more frustration with ladder shenanigans and any small solace for clicking a move that described what I felt was welcome. It also handles Transform Mew, which is nice because, funnily enough, my team happens to be a bit weak to Curse Snorlax. High Horsepower is used over Protect to avoid being walled by Aegislash, Mega Gengar, and Steel-types. Protect didn't seem as useful with such an enormously bulky Pokemon and redirection to help it out.

Holding Leftovers keeps Snorlax healthy, gradually restoring HP lost from Substitute. The given HP and Special Defense investment guarantee that Snorlax's Substitutes survive a Choice Scarf Tapu Lele Moonblast, which is pretty ridiculous already so I didn't feel the need for any more investment. Thick Fat makes sure that Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave cannot break the Sub. Even Heatran's Inferno Overdrive from Heat Wave fails to break through Snorlax's Substitute 15 times out of 16. Next, I placed 20 EVs in Attack to ensure Frustration OHKOes 0/4 Mega Charizard Y at +1. The last few EVs went into Defense, which does some cool things like giving Jirachi only a 25% chance to break through before Snorlax accrues a boost, and Landorus-T's Earthquake less than 50% chance to break it when Snorlax is at +1.

Jirachi @

The victim of the closest suspect in Doubles history, Jirachi was a true cornerstone to this team's success. This is largely a standard Jirachi set, with Iron Head for a STAB attack and flinches, Follow Me for redirection, and Trick Room chosen in place of Icy Wind to support Snorlax. The only slight deviation from the norm is Helping Hand in a slot typically occupied by Protect. Helping Hand was originally added when this was a rain team to boost Kingdra's Muddy Water, but the boosts ended up being quite helpful to Snorlax as well, since otherwise Snorlax needs at least two boosts to be decently threatening. The Helping Hand boost also comes in handy whenever Jirachi is likely to be KOed or hit by a Fake Out, as the +5 priority ensures the move will outprioritize any incoming attack.

The given spread prevents Timid Mega Charizard Y from KOing with Heat Wave, with the remaining EVs used in Defense. I chose an Iapapa Berry as the item for more recovery, as the extra 25% at the cost of a later activation is worth it in most games. The Speed IVs are set to 0 but without a negative nature like Sassy so that Jirachi can threaten Milotic with an Iron Head flinch outside of Trick Room; it's a pretty rare scenario but I haven't regretted by Jirachi being too quick even once in the many games I've used this team so I see no reason to change it.

Tapu Bulu @

Tapu Bulu was mostly chosen for its ability, which provided Snorlax with enough recovery that it would heal off Substitute damage after only two turns instead of four. However, it also deals a ridiculous amount of damage with Wood Hammer and even more with Bloom Doom. Stone Edge eliminates Volcarona that try to set up in Bulu's face and takes on both it and Mega Charizard Y under Trick Room. Nature's Madness is a bit of a strange pick over Superpower, but it handles Celesteela and Ferrothorn more reliably without lowering Bulu's Attack stat. Protect is especially useful here as one of only two users of the move on my team, allowing it to stall for Grassy Terrain recovery or wait for a teammate to take out a threat.

124 Attack EVs with a Brave nature are enough to ensure that Bloom Doom OHKOes the even bulkiest of Mega Kangaskhan sets (124+ Atk Tapu Bulu Bloom Doom (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 120 Def Kangaskhan-Mega in Grassy Terrain: 414-487 (100 - 117.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO). The remaining EVs boost Bulu's lower Special Defense, further improving its matchup against other island guardians. While this team isn't super consistent with having Trick Room up, using a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs helps Bulu be as effective as possible when it is set and any other benchmarks weren't worthwhile.

Gyarados-Mega @

Despite trying and failing to make a successful Mega Gyarados team last generation, I was willing to give this beast another shot. Dual STABs were too good to give up for something like Ice Fang or Earthquake, as I definitely wanted it to handle all Fire-types and Aegislash well. Dragon Dance turns it into a solid sweeper, though it unfortunately cannot outspeed the fastest Pokemon in the metagame with only one boost. Protect lets me scout for Z-Moves or strange coverage and decide whether it's a good time to mega evolve, as sometimes delaying it allows for better cycling of Intimidate late-game.

I used enough Speed EVs with a Jolly nature to outrun all Heatran sets without a boost, as well as Mega Gengar, Tapu Koko, and Rash Deoxys-A with one. I could have gone with 216 Attack EVs for the guaranteed OHKO on Landorus-T at +1 and 2HKO at -1, but the extra HP EVs didn't end up doing much so I elected for maximum Attack and a dump in HP. Moxie is an option pre-Mega but Intimidate is far more useful in keeping Mega Gyarados and its teammates alive and kicking.

Victini @

Even without a boosting item or nature, V-create hits like an absolute truck, OHKOing and outspeeding Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. U-turn is a crucial move for all Choice Scarf users that allows them to pivot out of poor matchups and scout for an opponent's switch before sending in a replacement. Bolt Strike is primarily for Mega Charizard Y, but also takes Water-types that would safely switch in on V-create. Glaciate is where this set differs a bit from the norm - without this, my team struggled with Dragon Dance Mega Salamence with redirection and lacked any form of spread damage. While it's quite weak on even Ice-weak targets, Glaciate lets Victini finish off quite weakened foes and slow others down for its teammates to take them on. Final Gambit is also an option in this slot for outright eliminating bulky threats like Zapdos, Heatran, and Tapu Fini; likewise, Flare Blitz provides a strong Fire-type move that doesn't lower Victini's stats; however, I prefer Glaciate to both.

Maximum Speed and a Jolly nature are crucial to outspeed Choice Scarf Genesect and at worst Speed tie with Quiver Dance Volcarona at +1. Some Victini run a bit of bulk but I really just wanted an obscenely strong V-create and so I kept it simple with a 252/252 spread. Victory Star also happens to come in handy with slightly inaccurate moves such as High Horsepower, Stone Edge, and Nature's Madness, which are made far more reliable with its boost.

Landorus-Therian @

This set plugs as many holes as possible in one slot. I took the moves directly from Memoric's preferred Assault Vest Landorus-T set and adapted the spread to better fit this team. Earth Power is used as the STAB attack of choice because it’s not weakened by Grassy Terrain and circumvents Wide Guard, doing almost as much damage as Earthquake due to the lack of spread reduction. Hidden Power Ice takes advantage of the Pokemon Landorus-T is useful for switching into, including opposing Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, Zygarde, and others. U-turn takes out Hoopa-U and helps Landorus-T with pivoting, cycling Intimidate alongside Gyarados provided it has yet to Mega Evolve. It also safely brings in many strong attackers thanks to Landorus-T's low Speed on this set. Stone Edge is almost exclusively for Mega Charizard Y, but also nails Volcarona and provides the hardest hit on Zapdos that this set has available.

The EV spread survives a variety of attacks while still providing Landorus-T with enough power to take out its targets. 204 HP and 104 Special Defense EVs ensure Psycho Boost from Deoxys-A or Timid Tapu Lele Shattered Psyche in Psychic Terrain are unable to OHKO, also giving Landorus-T the ability to withstand two Mega Charizard Y Heat Waves, and two Mega Gengar Icy Winds. Alongside the HP investment, 36 Defense EVs prevent 52 Atk Mega Salamence Double-Edge from 2HKOing. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack, as Hoopa-U and bulky Mega Charizard Y are already OHKOed by U-turn and Stone Edge, respectively. The Special Attack EVs allow Landorus-T to OHKO 0/4 Mega Gengar and non-Assault Vest Tapu Koko with Earth Power and 2HKO Assault Vest Landorus-T with Hidden Power Ice.

Replays

Importable

Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
Happiness: 0
EVs: 208 HP / 20 Atk / 60 Def / 220 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Curse
- Substitute
- Frustration
- High Horsepower

Jirachi @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Iron Head
- Follow Me
- Trick Room
- Helping Hand

Tapu Bulu @ Grassium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Atk / 160 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Wood Hammer
- Stone Edge
- Nature's Madness
- Protect

Gyarados-Mega @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Dragon Dance
- Protect

Victini @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- U-turn
- Bolt Strike
- Glaciate

Landorus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 204 HP / 36 Def / 164 SpA / 104 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
- Stone Edge

Conclusion
While Jirachi did help me out in my suspect run, I think in the end it's a good thing that it left the tier. I'd be open to seeing it re-suspected at some point in the future but for now we have a new meta to play with, which is always fun. Venturing a bit away from the team itself and towards general reflection, these past 1000 posts have taken me through some rough points in my life but also brought me new friends, experiences, and knowledge that I would have otherwise been entirely without. I'm forever grateful for my time here, getting to improve this site in various areas and see my friends grow is an honor. Here's a few shoutouts, don't be offended by where you are because this is just the order I thought of them when I was writing these up at 1am.

n10sit - I don't even know where to begin. Over my time here you've become one of my best friends not only on Smogon but in life. You're there when I need to rant, when I'm really struggling, when I'm excited, and to tell me that I've gone insane when I swear I've got the next big thing in Doubles and follow it up with a truly bonkers team comp that could almost never work. I can think of no one else I'd want to be modded with, to scheme with, and to share my time with on this wild ride. I know I'm getting way too sappy here but it's honestly true. Here's to more of the same during my next 1k posts

Memoric - My tier leader, my C&C Co-Lead, my memes. So much of what I've accomplished has been because of you and it's wild how similar our Smogon interests are. Thanks for being a mentor and a friend, I'm so glad I got to be there when you finally got RO and TL.There's no one else I'd rather lead a section with, when you really commit you're an absolute C&C machine. Let's make sure SM DOU C&C is the best it's ever been

Nido-Rus - Every week you come up with some bonkers strategy that somehow wins games and I don't know how you do it. Building with you is an adventure but it's always a fun time. You keep Doubles interesting and exciting and now you've even gotten to show off in SPL (even if it did go poorly). Testing with you forces me to really think about the game every time and I believe has made me a better builder and battler. Thanks for valuing my input and clueing me in to the Next Big Thing™

miltankmilk - Your nemesis is finally vanquished from Doubles \o/ Between dying for the sins of Doubles with the Swagger ban and having one of the greatest names on this site, you're quite the legend and rightfully so. It's been crazy seeing how successful you are now and the way your teams with Bowman have shaped the meta thus far. You're always ready to talk, battle, or just goof around and I wouldn't trade that for the world

shaian - You're my absolute inspiration for all things C&C and many other aspects of Doubles. You always seem to know when to joke around and shitpost and when to be real, and talking with you has honestly made me a better person. Having to fix all those trash analyses last generation may have been a bit of a chore but working through them together was pretty great. Keep it ~wavy~ (I'm probably too late for that reference but I tried)

clius - No one else has ever meant the question "How are you doing?" more than you. Talking through all the real stuff and exploring ORAS DUU were some of the fondest memories I have from my time here. Sorry for being the other participant in the "Superpower the Diancie" debacle, and I'm sad I haven't seen you around in so long. If no one's told you yet, Jirachi just got banned again so that might not be the best reason to come back but I promise this is also a fun meta.

Checkmater - You're a true wild child, but you push the boundaries and provide everyone with a different perspective so I'm honored to share the same beginnings as you in that Summer Seasonal. I never know what to expect in one of your games, and I mean that in the best possible way. Our professional relationship may have had some bumps but you really put in the work when you need to and so for that I thank you

kamikaze - Your rise on Smogon has been nothing short of meteoric and I couldn't think of anyone more deserving. Your level-headedness, practicality, kindness, and eloquence is something I admire a bunch, thank you for leading our tier so well

qsns - It may have been the result of a typo, but spending last DPL on your team was a dream despite my poor showing. Thanks for trusting me with each weird idea I had and cheering me on every week, it'll be hard for anyone to top your support this DPL

nadando - The guy who came out of nowhere to save DOU C&C. I had honestly never heard of you before but your amchecks and now QC checks have been a true blessing and I'm so glad someone else enjoys the section as much as I do. Stick around and I'm sure you'll go very far

BlueSkiddoWeCanToo - You may have started out as the guy who memed better than all of us but now you're also a great friend and someone I'm so proud to watch grow in so many ways. Thanks for having overly deep drunk conversations with me and I can't wait to see what you do during my next 1000 posts

Vubon - My best friend from the LC community, thanks for bringing me in and helping me out. It's been great seeing you succeed so much in SPL, maybe I'll actually get into SM LC at some point and we can get back to testing out the fun/crazy ideas together

MajorBowman - One of the few guys I've actually met irl, I'm so glad you proved me wrong in last SPL. Back then I may have thought you were just some VGC'er here to crash the hopes of my friends but you're so much more than that. I hope you enjoyed my Victini gif n_n

thebagman - Building with you in this new DUU meta has been a whirlwind and I'm glad we both appreciate the same kind of crazy haha

Level 51 - I will never know how you manage to break the meta once or twice a year but keep doing what you're doing. Thanks for showing all of us how many Pokemon can truly be viable and valuing my input on your crazy, genius teams

Pocket - You're the guy I have to thank for so much of what Doubles is today, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that. You always keep an open mind and I admire that creativity and thoughtfulness, it's been great having you back in the community

Arcticblast - From day one I've looked up to you, you were the TL who humbled me in my first seasonal and kept the tier moving to the best of your abilities. Glad to see you back in Doubles

Yoda2798 - I know you've mostly moved on from mons but there was a while where we talked every single day and I never thought I'd get that close with someone I had never met in person. Thanks for keeping things light but also being willing and helpful in the more real conversations, and for entertaining my weirdest building ideas. You're a true gem

13ulbasaur - I haven't seen you around in a while but you light up the Doubles room every time you join on PS! and that's no small feat. Thanks for supplying my bookmarks with a large number of adorable animals and blessing us with your artwork

fleurdyleurse - bee47, my angel who brought me in to GP on a whim. Thanks for taking a chance on me and for keeping GP fun and introducing new talent. bee and tree are gonna take the GP world by storm and everybody had better watch out :D

The Dutch Plumberjack - My fellow Member of the Year nominee, you really earned it. You do so much for C&C, GP, and TFP and it's great to see someone so fantastic in charge of my favorite sections

P Squared - I never thought I would find someone who loved conditional formatting more than I do :') Thanks for all that you do, especially helping me out, both when I was applying and back when I was just a lowly analysis writer, with grace and kindness

GatoDelFuego - Rounding out the GPTLs, my favorite firecat. Thanks for taking me in and showing me the ropes, joining your section and learning from you has been swell

Kris - Finding another gay swimmer who does GP stuff is a pretty weird coincidence but I'm not gonna question it. Thanks for picking a solid color last switch and I'm sorry you got stuck with a bad one this time haha

Mr. Uncompetitive - My fellow Bostonian (I know I'm not technically in Boston), it's been cool having someone to bond with over weird weather stuff, places to eat, and any GP stuff because we're both on Discord all the time

Snobalt - From Site Staff mentor to co-GPer, you've always been a helpful guy and I really appreciate it. Sorry to hear you're moving on from Smogon but I wish you all the best

AD Thunderboy - I only just started mentoring you but you show real promise and you're a nice guy, stick around in GP and you'll go far

The rest of the GP Team - I've only been on the team for a few months but it's been great having a group of people I can nerd out with who also keep me up to date on meme trends. Thanks for welcoming me with open arms and running one of the best teams on this site with me. You guys are also the reason that I checked this RMT twice to make sure there weren't any glaring errors, so thanks for keeping me on my toes

Audiosurfer, BLOOD TOTEM, Biosci, Braverius, Croven, DaAwesomeDude1, Dawg, deoxys speed, Elise, finally, Flame Road, GenOne, GiraGoomy, GreenGogoatttt, Hashtag, KyleCole, Lohgock, marilli, Matame, Matt, Mishimono, n1n1, obii, Omega-Xis, Pastelle, Sam-testings, SamVGC, Silverwhiteblue, SocialSocialSocial, SpaceBass, Stax, tcr, teal6, Test Bot #, xzern, Yellow Paint - It's been great getting to know all of you and sharing in this fun yet sometimes incredibly frustrating game we all play. Thanks for everything you've done and said to make me feel welcome here

Anyone else - If you're reading this because you wanted to see what I did with my 1k, I'm honored that you care :) The best advice I can give anyone wanting to be more involved is to throw yourself into it and keep your ears ready and your mind open. I started out thinking this would be a fun little thing to distract myself about 4 years ago, and now Smogon is a big part of my life and I'm proud of what I've done with my time here despite the rep some people give it for "wasting all your time on Pokemon website". Also, if I forgot you, I blame sleep deprivation :/

MajorBowman · Mar 15, 2017

Glad we got to meet at nationals, albeit for a short time. We don't talk a whole lot but I've always seen you as one of the nicest guys in the community and I'm glad you're here. Congrats on 1000 posts and here's to 1000 more.

also: the victini gif is perfect (as are all victini gifs) and that one was already on my list of gifs to use as my profile picture

n10siT · Mar 15, 2017

Congratulations on 1000 posts tree - you've been my best friend on this site for almost a year now (holy fuck) and I have enjoyed every moment. I could not ask for a better friend and I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors on smogon and beyond!

Pocket · Mar 15, 2017

Thanks for sharing this team! I was just recently stuck on making a Snorlax team, and your Substitute Curselax is something I want to try out

. I feel some resistance in losing the great ability Gluttony, but the Fire resist from Thick Fat is soo nice.

Congrats to the 1k milestone, kind user talkingtree

miltankmilk · Mar 15, 2017

Congrats on 1k posts tree. You've brought me into several parts of smogon that I wouldn't have thought about a year ago and thats something I can't thank you enough for. Except for n1n1 your work goes unnoticed so often and can go under-appreciated so thank you for all you've done in keeping doubles accessible and relevant. I'd give you a rate or something on this team because its pretty wild but rachi's banned now (cheers silently) so I don't know how useful it would be :/. Keep up the great work and thanks for the kind words!

emma · Mar 15, 2017

Yeah, echoing everyone above, you are hands down one of the nicest and friendliest people on Smogon. Thank you for making DOU C&C so welcoming to new people who wanted to contribute this gen. You're definitely underappreciated and I'm glad you are in this community.

SM Doubles OU All These Things That I've Done - a 1k RMT

talkingtree

large if factual

MajorBowman

wouldst thou like to live fergaliciously?

n10siT

Hoopa can do anything!

Pocket

be the upgraded version of me

miltankmilk

emma

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