(While this team is not actually the GOAT, The Beatles are. Please click the picture to listen to a beautiful album)
INTRODUCTION
With Generation 8 drawing ever closer, I wanted to get one more RMT out for this generation of Balanced Hackmons. I was hoping to post this team before Mega Rayquaza was banned since it was created during its era, but I also didn’t want to post it with OMPL still going on. Now that the ban has been imposed and our OMPL run is over, its time for the RMT! Despite the ban, the team is still solid against current meta threats. For this RMT, I bring you a team that has peaked the ladder. While this is not my first peak, it is the first time I’ve peaked while only using one version of one team for the entire run. This team is focused around an offensive version of Yveltal. Most Yveltal sets these days are defensive pivots, so I decided to go in a different direction and use its nice offensive STAB combination. I feel that it has worked well and that Yveltal has even more potential as a Flying-type attacker in BH now that Mega Rayquaza is banned.
TEAM BUILDING PROCESS
I started building this team with Adaptability Yveltal. I wanted to play with an offensive variant of my favorite mon.
I added Magearna to improof the Yveltal and serve as a check for most special attacking threats.
Next I tried running some jank Soundproof Kartana set with Anchor Shot and Spore but it was just really, really bad.
After losing a lot with Kartana, I switched it to Primal Groudon to help take out things that wall Yveltal, like Magearna and Mega Tyranitar.
Mega Mewtwo Y came next so that my team wasn’t incredibly slow and could put more pressure on teams with Mega Gengar, Mega Mewtwo X, or -ate users.
Giratina and Zygarde-C came last (well, until the Groudon change) to help me have a Ghost-type to switch into Shedinja and to help me have setup checks.
THE TEAM
Here Comes the Sun (Mewtwo-Mega-Y) @ Leftovers
Ability: Dazzling
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Photon Geyser | Moonblast / Ice Beam | Secret Sword | Strength Sap
Semi-support MMY is a set I have grown fond of recently. I talk about it a little more in depth in this post, but here I'll talk about what it does for this team. It fits fairly well onto teams that don’t mind having a back-up check for priority attackers. This set allows me to soft check -ate users like Kyurem-Black and Mega Diancie thanks to Dazzling and 2HKO them with coverage moves or heal up with Strength Sap. Triage Mega Rayquaza is also checked and 2HKO’d by Moonblast or OHKO’d by Ice Beam. Secret Sword is nice for putting a big dent in Mega Tyranitar or picking off a low health AV Dialga. Photon Geyser is decently strong STAB with the added utility of removing enemy Shedinja. I’ll emphasize how it is a soft check again because it does not like switching into coverage moves like V-create or Precipice Blades from the -ate users it is trying to check unless it is healthy. This MMY doesn't pack the same firepower as its more popular sets like Specs or Sheer Force, but it still has a great Special Attack stat to help it hit hard and potentially clean up at the end of a game.
Now that Mega Rayquaza is banned, there is less need to run Ice Beam unless you really want to hit Zygarde-C hard. Moonblast is still a useful move to hit things like Giratina, Yveltal, and MMX. I'm not sure what Flying-types are going to surface in the wake of this ban, but heck you could throw in Power Gem if you really hate Ho-Oh, Mega Charizard Y, or Mega Pinsir.
The End (Yveltal) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Revelation Dance | Oblivion Wing | Quiver Dance | Baneful Bunker
The star of the team, “Double Dance” Yveltal. I call it Double Dance because of its two dancing moves, not because of two setup moves, so let’s not nitpick at the term. This set is lowkey amazing and can sometimes just win if it gets a chance to setup. Adaptability along with Black Glasses and a Modest nature gives Revelation Dance very nice raw power, allowing it to cleanly 2HKO Giratina unboosted as well as OHKOing foes like +SpD Aegislash and Necrozma-Dusk-Mane on damage rolls. Oblivion Wing is a useful move for gaining back a chunk of health and is needed to OHKO Mega Mewtwo X after a Quiver Dance. I’ve always liked running Baneful Bunker on Yveltal as its useful for scouting threats like -ate or choice item users as well as MMX. Bunker also puts defensive mons like Unaware or Regenvest users on a timer if they attempt to steal the boosts. Yveltal’s Dark typing is really nice for a setup sweeper as it is protected from Prankster status moves like Encore and Tospy-Turvy that would otherwise interrupt it.
Her Majesty (Magearna) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
Spectral Thief | Moonblast | Rapid Spin | U-turn
Magearna is on the rise in BH lately and I’ve enjoyed using the Regenvest variant. Steel/Fairy is a nice defensive typing that allows it to come in and pivot on Choice Specs users like MMY, Mega Rayquaza, and Kyurem-White. Magearna’s fairly low speed tier means it can slow pivot on some of the “faster” walls like Primal Kyogre and Cresselia with U-turn. Moonblast is a great STAB move with no immunities that keeps Magearna from being too passive and helps it force out fat Dragons like Giratina. Forcing out Giratina also helps Magearna serve as a decent spinner, so Rapid Spin was chosen to take advantage of that. Spectral Thief keeps Magearna from being set up on by threats like Poison Heal Xerneas or Triage Mega Rayquaza that could otherwise wear it down with boosted attacks.
Sun King (Groudon) @ Red Orb
Ability: Download
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
Fire Lash | Precipice Blades | Morning Sun | Knock Off
Fire Lash Primal Groudon is annoying. It cripples walls by lowering their defenses so that Precipice Blades can do big damage. Fire Lash paired with Knock Off and Precipice Blades lets Groudon take on walls that try to stop it by resisting Fire STAB alone, like non Fur Coat Giratina or Zygarde-C. Some of the benefits of Fire Lash over the nuke of V-create include more PP and no speed or defense drops after use. This means Groudon isn't forced out as frequently and can be used more in a long battle. Morning Sun allows me to heal up two thirds health while sun is active. Download is my pre-primal ability of choice this time and it is nice to come in on Imposters of Magearna to get the attack boost while forcing out the Imposter.
Octopus's Garden (Giratina) @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
Stealth Rock | Core Enforcer | Destiny Bond | Shore Up
This Giratina is mainly here because I needed a Ghost-type that could switch in on opposing Shedinja and MMX. Prankster is my favorite variant of Giratina and one of the most useful in the Shell Smash meta we’re in. This set is a little different from other Pranksters, though, as it does not utilize Haze, Topsy-Turvy, or Encore. Stealth Rock is used instead, to get rocks up against offensive threats that can’t OHKO Giratina like MMY or MMX. Core Enforcer forces out non Fairy-type Poison Healers. Destiny Bond is used to take out offensive threats that the rest of the team doesn’t want to deal with. Shore Up keeps Giratina alive until it decides to die. I went with minimum speed so that, at worst, it can suppress the abilities of opposing Magic Bounce walls with base 90 speed on a lost speed tie to get rocks up.
Carry That Weight (Zygarde-Complete) @ Groundium Z
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
Haze | Shore Up | Core Enforcer | Thousand Waves
Double Prankster Dragons with Core Enforcer might seem like overkill, and it kind of is. But the team needed a Ghost-type as I mentioned and Giratina is by far the best defensive Ghost-type. But Zygarde-C is here to do things that Giratina doesn’t on this team, namely trapping Imposters of Groudon, MMY without Ice Beam, and itself, while also stopping setup threats with Prankster Haze. Groundium Z on Zygarde-C has been popular lately and it is very useful as a backup check to Normalize Gengar or surprising Steel-types that think they can survive Thousand Waves. I debated using Entrainment over Core Enforcer here to mess with -ates or hit PH Xern and Avalanche Regigigas, but I didn’t like the idea of not being able to touch Flying-types.
DEALING WITH COMMON META THREATS
- -ate users like Kyurem-B and Mega Diancie can be dealt with fairly easily with the combination of Magearna, Primal Groudon, and MMY. Magearna switches in easily to FakeSpeed but has to watch out for coverage like V-create and Precipice Blades. Primal Groudon can force out Mega Diancie without Ground-type coverage if it is healthy. As stated above, MMY also blocks priority and can 2HKO common -ate users.
- Mega Rayquaza can be dealt with in multiple ways, depending on the set. AV Magearna can switch into Choice Specs Aerilate Boomburst when healthy and force it out with Moonblast. Magearna can also steal the boosts from Triage Mega Rayquaza to force it out. It is worth noting that Magearna survives a +3 Secret Sword from Modest Life Orb Mega Rayquaza. Dazzling MMY is also able to handle Triage or mixed Aerilate Mega Rayquaza as long as it comes in safely.
- Poison Heal MMX can be dealt in a number of ways, like super effective STAB from Yveltal and Magearna or ability suppression by Giratina and Zygarde-C. Other, non-choiced MMX variants can be played around with Yveltal, Magearna, MMY, and Giratina mainly.
- Setup spam can be annoying, but two prankster users and Spectral Thief on Magearna help deal with it.
- Depending on the coverage moves, Poison Heal Xerneas can be dealt with by Magearna forcing it out with Spectral Thief or Groudon forcing it out with brute force. If needed, Giratina can take it down with Destiny Bond but risks letting it set Spikes.
- Primal Groudon can be trapped and/or forced out by Zygarde-C and Giratina, depending on the coverage it brings. Having no Magic Bounce user means it can easily get rocks set, though.
- Normalize Gengar is kept in check by MMY while unboosted, is OHKO’d by Yveltal with Black Glasses, and is OHKO’d by Tectonic Rage from Zygarde-C. Other variants of Gengar can be handled in similar manners or taken down with Giratina.
- Shedinja can be dealt with by getting rocks up with Giratina or killing it with Photon Geyser on MMY. This is not always easy to pull off, though.
- Common Imposter users like Chansey and Blissey are not issues thanks to how the team is built. Yveltal is improofed by Magearna, Magearna by Groudon, Groudon by Zygarde-C, and Zygarde-C by itself. Giratina is forced out by Magearna or Yveltal and MMY is forced out by Magearna or trapped and killed by Zygarde-C if running Moonblast. Imposter Pikachu with Light Ball makes the Groudon improof a little sketchy. It can 2HKO Zygarde-C with Precipice Blades but is revenge killed by MMY with prior chip.
- Sheer Force MMY can be scouted by a healthy Magearna as it survives Earth Power and Blue Flare with the Assault Vest and it can also be taken down by Giratina with Destiny Bond since MMY cannot OHKO it.
POTENTIAL THREATS TO THE TEAM
- While Sleep is less common thanks to the clause, it can still pose a threat to this team. Safety Goggles on Giratina is the only check to Spore on the team but the rest of the team is open to be slept by any sleep move out there. Sleep combined with setup spam like Shell Smash can be threatening to Zygarde-C and Giratina, depending on the threat and sleep move. Most sleep setters can be played around though thanks to the sleep clause.
- Another less common strategy that can threaten this team is poison status. Having only one Steel-type for poison immunity and no Poison Heal teammates leaves the rest of my time open to Toxic Spikes, Toxic, or Poison Fang. Depending on the opposing mon, this can be troublesome for the team in a drawn out battle. It is best to keep the number of poisoned teammates to a minimum while taking out the status spreader ASAP.
- Choice Banded breakers like MMX, Mega Rayquaza, and Mega Garchomp can put a lot of pressure on this team due to their high powered attacks. Fortunately, the team has immunities to Fighting, Psychic, Dragon, and Ground moves that can help in playing around these threats. These immunities can still be played around by the opponent by predicting a switch. Crippling Choice Band users early on with Baneful Bunker or Knock Off makes these threats easier to deal with.
- A well crafted Shedinja team can be a scary matchup for this team. Shedinja supported by a Fairy-type Magic Bounce user makes it harder for Giratina to set rocks to pressure Shedinja. While MMY can remove Shedinja with Photon Geyser, it can’t stop it from switching out to a teammate than can handle MMY. Groudon can Knock Off Shedinja’s item to make it more vulnerable to Baneful Bunker, but this can be played around as well.
CONCLUSION
I really love this team. It is able to check most of the meta threats well and its offensive core is unique and able to dismantle popular defensive cores. I've never felt more sure about a team when laddering than this one to be able to handle whatever is thrown at me. I've had better success with this team on the ladder than any I've made before. All that said, the team has its flaws. While it has won me a lot of games, I've also gotten swept by random things like Shell Smash + Spore on Refrigerate Kyurem-White thanks to sleep turns or random toxic stall. You never know what you'll face in this meta, which is a reason why I love it, but this team should give you a fighting chance against almost anything you see.
SHOUT-OUTS
DarkRisingRay - probably the person I learned the most from and my best friend this generation.
Marsopa Trump & Test Rex - tu eres el mejor a Balanced Hackmons y tambien eres muy loco y gracioso.
sodass - thanks for the interesting mons discussion and for offering insights to help me improve my teams.
Magii - its great actually seeing you around on the ladder and discord lately. you're always cool and nice.
Gurpreet Patel (Sent you a Friend Request) - your creativity always inspires me. Your teams are always cool and outside of the ray ban your influence on this metagame has been great
GL Volkner - i feel like I've gotten to know you more toward the end of this gen and it has been a pleasant experience. I'll test teams whenever you need (as long as we aren't opponents)
REPLAYS
Most of the replays I have of this team were played on my alts but a few of them come from the recent run I made on the fresh account. I’ve grouped them into sections based on the team style I was facing (Yes, I call one breaker and 5 walls stall). Click on the images and they should link you to the replays.
Against Stall:
Against Balance:
Against Offense:
IMPORTABLE
Here Comes the Sun (Mewtwo-Mega-Y) @ Leftovers
Ability: Dazzling
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Photon Geyser
- Moonblast
- Secret Sword
- Strength Sap
The End (Yveltal) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Revelation Dance
- Oblivion Wing
- Quiver Dance
- Baneful Bunker
Her Majesty (Magearna) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spectral Thief
- Moonblast
- Rapid Spin
- U-turn
Sun King (Groudon) @ Red Orb
Ability: Download
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fire Lash
- Precipice Blades
- Moonlight
- Knock Off
Octopus's Garden (Giratina) @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Core Enforcer
- Destiny Bond
- Shore Up
Carry That Weight (Zygarde-Complete) @ Groundium Z
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Haze
- Shore Up
- Core Enforcer
- Thousand Waves
Ability: Dazzling
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Photon Geyser
- Moonblast
- Secret Sword
- Strength Sap
The End (Yveltal) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Revelation Dance
- Oblivion Wing
- Quiver Dance
- Baneful Bunker
Her Majesty (Magearna) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spectral Thief
- Moonblast
- Rapid Spin
- U-turn
Sun King (Groudon) @ Red Orb
Ability: Download
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fire Lash
- Precipice Blades
- Moonlight
- Knock Off
Octopus's Garden (Giratina) @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Core Enforcer
- Destiny Bond
- Shore Up
Carry That Weight (Zygarde-Complete) @ Groundium Z
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Haze
- Shore Up
- Core Enforcer
- Thousand Waves
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