ORAS OU Darude-Leafstorm (peak 1803)

[who can say]

Hi, this is a team featuring the new contrary serperior that has worked out well for me. Even in games it probably shouldn't win the amount of pressure it applies is enough to let something sweep.

Hide

I'm number three at 1803 on the ladder. I also won a tour using mainly this team except when I was afraid of scouting. In another tour I lost to mob barley protect stalling leaf storm pp in the finals.

Hide

I'm not an experienced RMT person-this is my only post, although I have looked at others. I did not include pictures but I tried to give a thorough explanation of the team.

The quick Import/Export information:

Hide

Darude-Leafstorm (Serperior) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Dragon Pulse
- Giga Drain

Gyaratwo (Gyarados) @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Waterfall
- Earthquake

SecretCharizard (Talonflame) @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Roost


I'm using sucker punch (Bisharp) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head


ActuallyArcheops (Aerodactyl) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Rock Slide
- Double Edge

GenderBenderLatios (Latias) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Healing Wish
- Earthquake
- Defog

changes in bold

ActuallyArcheops (Aerodactyl) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Rock Slide
- Double Edge/EQ

Aerodactyl is a suicide lead designed to 1) get rocks up while preventing the other team from getting rocks up and 2) gain momentum. Both of these are important because they have great synergy with the rest of the team. Talonflame and gyarados in particular really do not like having their bulk reduced by rocks. On the other hand, the whole team loves the damage on the enemy team from having rocks up. Aero usually is a good lead that can guarantee rocks by spamming rocks and taunt but it can be forced into mindgames sometimes. An avantage is it gives me the advantage over other offensive teams because they commonly run azelf. Finally, aero has edge quake coverage, although currently I have rock slide over stone edge because I'd rather hax people than get haxed. Aero can actually threaten some threats to the rest of the team. Most games it dies at the start but it does what the team needs.

EQ is necessary for mega diance while double edge is better vs rapid spinners

Darude-Leafstorm (Serperior) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Dragon Pulse
- Giga Drain

Darude-Leafstorm.
Anyways, this thing just got released and opinions differ. Plenty of people think it is bad but, imho, scarf serperior can get scary very quickly. It is definitely situational-a team with amoonguss, venausar, etc will not be particularly threatened. However, serperior can quickly get out of control. Scarf acts as a fantastic bait in many cases-I was hesitant to post this team because I prefer it when people assume it is not scarfed and bring in scarfed landorus to u-turn. Its pure grass typing and its stats are not great (except for that sexy speed) but it can get in a great position against many things, such as water types which the rest of the team brings in. Honestly I would rather run 4 leaf storms than 4 different moves because serperior really should only be leaf storming in an ideal sweep. However, hp ground is nice as it can get heatran out of the way. Heatran cripple/kill my talonflame and stop serperior in its tracks, depending on its set. Hitting heatran with hp ground helps the team tremendously.

SecretCharizard (Talonflame) @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Roost

Talonflame has some nice synergy with serperior because it can set up on the steel/grass types that wall serperior. Certain teams are very weak to talon although most carry a check like heatran or ttar. Heatran is interesting because with roost and sd talon can theoretically win but most carry roar, toxic, earth power (for roost predict), or even ancient power (I don't want to talk about it). Talon usually can't beat a 100% hp heatran 1v1 but it can weaken it which helps serperior a great deal. The struggle vs ttar is more important as this team does not really have a ttar counter. The nice thing is that choiced ttars are easily set up on by gyara or bisharp so it can be worth sacrificing something in many games to get a sweep.
credit to windgrace for explaining the set

Gyaratwo (Gyarados) @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Waterfall
- Earthquake

Gyarados completes the FWG core and is my mega. Gyarados can dragon dance on many things, especially choiced enemies with its nice typing and bulk. Without mega it gets intimidate and flying type but with mega it gets better stats, dark type, and mold breaker. This is nice for the team because sometimes, although not very often, it can bait rotom-w by mega evolving then mold breakering. Also, stall teams that annoy this team often carry unaware quagsire/clefable to stop set up sweepers and gyara gives 0 fucks mold breaker helps although gyara does not want a toxic/moonblast. Luckily, gyara's bulky often lets it take hits and be brought low rather than outright killed. You can trick people into thinking gyara is out of commission just because it is at 1% health and toxic'd with no recovery, so they let chesnaught or whatever they have to counter it die. Just kidding, healing wish!

GenderBenderLatios (Latias) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Healing Wish
- Earthquake
- Defog

Latias plays more of a support role in this team which is why I chose it over latios. Taunt and the threat of set up sweepers is often enough to keep rocks off the field but a defogger is still necessary. Draco meteor+psyshock is my normal set but being heatran bait is great for serperior and talonflame. It also can sort of hurt ttar. The best part of this set is healing wish-if used right it can completely swing a game back around by bringing back the most useful and damaged sweeper on the team. For example, if ferro has a standard leech seed/gyro/protect/hazards set it can beat gyara once but does not want to have to stop gyara a second time.

I'm using sucker punch (Bisharp) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head

I thought about bisharp because I remembered it terrorizing my stall team. Bisharp has a great typing to complement the rest of the team and can set up and sweep/at least take out some stuff very often. The one problem I have with bisharp is you need to play some mindgames with sucker punch. (If you play me on the ladder don't read this!!!!) I usually just spam sucker punch because there is no harm unless they have substitute. Stall in particular is annoying for this team to deal with and bisharp helps out with that.

Thanks for reading. Any advice is welcome. I apologize if it's formatted wrong.

Edit: Added a replay vs mob barley. I lost because he outplayed me but I think I showed serperior's potential. http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-201741677.

Edit: Rematch, almost beat him but leaf storm missed and I didn't get my full boost so meta lived. Another good showing of scarf serperior tho. http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/battle-ou-202584281

 

[The Melodious One]

Why Sleep Talk on Serperior?

 

[who can say]

To be honest I don't like sleep talk because the only sleep move is spore, which it's immune to. On the other hand, I can't think of anything else... Maybe giga drain for running out of leaf storm pp but that's about it. If you have any better suggestions I would really love to get them because sleep talk is pretty useless. Thanks. ok I changed it.

 

[firehusky]

Yes, definitely run Giga Drain over Sleep Talk. However, I would probably recommend Life Orb over Choice Scarf, as Leaf Storm isn't the best move to be locked into, and can easily be PP stalled. If you decide to take this suggestion, I would recommend Knock off or Giga Drain in the last slot over Sleep Talk. Knock Off allows you to beat Chansey, as +6 Leaf Storm is a guaranteed 2HKO. Giga Drain is Serperior's secondary Grass STAB move which can be used after Leaf Storm's PP is used up, and can help you recover health lost from hazards and Life Orb.
This is a pretty solid team featuring Serperior, and gratz on winning the tour. I was also in the same tour where you lost against mob barley, I made it to the semi finals and choked like no tomorrow :]

 

[who can say]

Thanks but I'd rather keep choice scarf because I like it late game sweep and suprise value. I might add knock off though. I think I also choke I just realized today that healing wish would've restored my pp I think...brb jumping off a cliff. Also, I appreciate the advice for serperior but I would like some more about other aspects of the team.

 

[blinkie]

Nice team you have but maybe I would suggest you change Mega Gyarados to Sub DD that way you set up on non powerwhip Ferro and also can get free Subs up on Heatran that try to WoW or something. This allows you to easily get past two of the biggest roadblocks to Serperior.

Also maybe a small nitpick but maybe try running Double Edge on Aero over Earthquake? IDK a lot of leads run suicide moves that way opponents can't Rapid Spin / Defog at 1% so yea you can commit suicide with Double Edge to spinblock / Defogblock for 1 turn and then bring out a threat.

mob barley is hard to beat lost to him a bunch of times in tours closest time is he won by literally 1% with Thund because i didn't get highest damage roll turn 1 >.<

 

[who can say]

What move would you recommend replacing with substitute? I like the idea of double edge though, thank you.

 

[leremyju]

Wow this is a really nice team and does show how good Seperior really is. Since it is scarf, I think the only thing you need to outspeed is scarf Terakion/Keldeo or even Lati twins, so you just need to outspeed Timid Latios/Latias. Therefore I believe EV's of 24 HP / 252 SAtk / 232 Speed. Its not much but the 24 Speed EV's don't do anything

 

[who can say]

Ah, but after I get my hands on the meta every team will have a serperior, and running max speed timid will be critical to speed tie other serperiors :>

 

[Patolegend!]

Thanks but I'd rather keep choice scarf because I like it late game sweep and suprise value. I might add knock off though. I think I also choke I just realized today that healing wish would've restored my pp I think...brb jumping off a cliff. Also, I appreciate the advice for serperior but I would like some more about other aspects of the team.

You're alright, Healing Wish doesn't restore PP, just health and status; It's Lunar Dance that does the lot.

I reckon Max speed is the only way forward, in case of a Knock Off or some other crazy loon using max choice scarf Serp :]

Love the team :)

EDIT: I'm pretty sure the suggestion of Sub was over Earthquake on Gyarados, as you've already got Serp for Rotom and Keldeo.

 

[Analytic]

Hey there,some quick suggestions:
EQ>Double Edge on Aerodactyl,this allows you to hit Heatran which you seem to be struggling against.

EQ is rather redundant on this team so go for Psyshock over EQ on Lati

Good luck

 

[who can say]

I normally run psyhock but I think the team benefits more from eq bait. EQ latias is a bit weird but I think team wise it makes sense? Maybe. Anyways, something that I have a ton of trouble with is altaria-mega. Any suggestions?

 

[Patolegend!]

With Talon you shouldn't have a problem with Altaria; it just becomes more important to keep rocks off the field. You could try using Will-O-Wisp instead of FB on Talon. This might make you weaker to Raikou, but it's easily worn down, and it allows you to use a bulkier spread on Smogon bird while keeping up the same offensive pressure. As a bonus, it pisses TTar off :) . You could add a little HP onto Gyarados to help the implied Raikou weakness (needs must):

252 SpA Raikou Thunderbolt vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gyarados: 218-258 (63.1 - 74.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Just 56HP lets you set up on Raikou after rocks, as long as you MEvolve. You can take the 56HP out and still outspeed Mega Bunny and Mega Man; you do get dicked on by Beedrill and Mega Sceptile though, but Talon deals with these handily.

Raikou's also easy to wear down, and can be handled by Serp:

252 SpA Serperior Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 32 SpD Assault Vest Raikou: 96-114 (29.9 - 35.5%) -- 23% chance to 3HKO

+2 252 SpA Serperior Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 32 SpD Assault Vest Raikou: 190-225 (59.1 - 70%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

AV Raikou is gonna come in on Serp anyways, as it thinks it outspeeds you.

Hey there,some quick suggestions:
EQ>Double Edge on Aerodactyl,this allows you to hit Heatran which you seem to be struggling against.

EQ is rather redundant on this team so go for Psyshock over EQ on Lati

Good luck

I quite like Double Edge actually, as Aero's so fast not even the latis can defog on it, and after the sash you get a free switch into another poke (bonus if it's heatran, cos Gyara gets to set up.

 

[who can say]

I quite like Double Edge actually, as Aero's so fast not even the latis can defog on it, and after the sash you get a free switch into another poke (bonus if it's heatran, cos Gyara gets to set up.

This.

I like gyara as it is but will o wisp over flare blitz is a good idea. If ttar is choiced I often want it to kill talon because bisharp can come in off that and i actually started with bulky talon gradually speed creeped it over time (as i got rekt by various things). I just don't think that you get the offensive pressure with those changes, although I may be wrong. Thanks.

 

[Like me]

As i said to you i'm gonna post my rate bro :')
as i think when we battle when latias died, any pokemon with an electric move hit you a lot. You need a good immunity to this or another switch in maybe ?
I love aerodactyl lead. He is so fast do the job as well but double edge WHY ? Earthquake give you the win in the war lead beacause most of pokemons who set up rocks in OU are heatran, Nape, tyranitar... Ok azelf and landorus but double edge really do nothing.
Serperior can be okay for me but really gimmick. Like that
However i'm pretty agree with th rest of the team. Seems strong with a good coverage.

 

[who can say]

Yeah, mega manectric and stuff can be annoying. Latias kind of works but can't consistently switch in and take the hp ice most electric pokes have. Not sure what to do though. About double edge, some earlier posts recommending it to me explained it pretty well. I think EQ is about as good though.

 

[Honus]

Guys remember to keep discussion in this thread strictly about the team, use VMs for small talk

 

[Windgrace]

Minor suggestion, but I think SD Talonflame normally runs Jolly nowadays:

Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Roost

 

[who can say]

Sorry I don't get it but why jolly over adamant? Also, is the sharp beak damage worth lefties recovery? I feel like win conditions with talon are much easier to get if you don't have to worry about killing yourself as much.

Edit: Thanks, I'll change that.

 

[Windgrace]

Sorry I don't get it but why jolly over adamant? Also, is the sharp beak damage worth lefties recovery? I feel like win conditions with talon are much easier to get if you don't have to worry about killing yourself as much.

Well, the item is up to you. But the EVs/Nature for Swords Dance Talonflame is best explained by the analysis.

Analysis

136 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature are crucial for Talonflame to outrun Thundurus, which can otherwise easily prevent a sweep. The remaining EVs are distributed to optomize Talonflame's attacking capabilities and give it a bit of bulk to help set up. Sharp Beak is the best item option to power up Brave Bird, as after a boost, Flare Blitz has enough power to KO its targets, and with Life Orb Talonflame will get KOed by recoil really fast. However, a Life Orb gives Talonflame a chance to achieve some crucial OHKOes with Brave Bird, including a 43.8% chance to OHKO Thundurus, a 25% chance to OHKO Choice Scarf Excadrill or Sand Rush Excadrill in sand after Stealth Rock, a 50% chance to OHKO Choice Scarf Rotom-W after Stealth Rock, and a 75% chance to OHKO specially defensive Hippowdon after one layer of Spikes. Life Orb also gives Talonflame more immediate power, which is useful for revenge killing purposes. However, move recoil plus Life Orb weakens Talonflame extremely quickly, so it's generally not recommended. If Raikou proves particularly problematic, an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe with a Jolly nature can be run to outspeed it. If greater revenge killing ability is preferred over the ability to outspeed Thundurus, then an Adamant nature with EVs of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe can be run in order to tie with other Talonflame and outspeed Mega Pinsir and hit it with Brave Bird before it uses Quick Attack.

 

[kiloments]

Well, the item is up to you. But the EVs/Nature for Swords Dance Talonflame is best explained by the analysis.

Analysis

136 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature are crucial for Talonflame to outrun Thundurus, which can otherwise easily prevent a sweep. The remaining EVs are distributed to optomize Talonflame's attacking capabilities and give it a bit of bulk to help set up. Sharp Beak is the best item option to power up Brave Bird, as after a boost, Flare Blitz has enough power to KO its targets, and with Life Orb Talonflame will get KOed by recoil really fast. However, a Life Orb gives Talonflame a chance to achieve some crucial OHKOes with Brave Bird, including a 43.8% chance to OHKO Thundurus, a 25% chance to OHKO Choice Scarf Excadrill or Sand Rush Excadrill in sand after Stealth Rock, a 50% chance to OHKO Choice Scarf Rotom-W after Stealth Rock, and a 75% chance to OHKO specially defensive Hippowdon after one layer of Spikes. Life Orb also gives Talonflame more immediate power, which is useful for revenge killing purposes. However, move recoil plus Life Orb weakens Talonflame extremely quickly, so it's generally not recommended. If Raikou proves particularly problematic, an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe with a Jolly nature can be run to outspeed it. If greater revenge killing ability is preferred over the ability to outspeed Thundurus, then an Adamant nature with EVs of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe can be run in order to tie with other Talonflame and outspeed Mega Pinsir and hit it with Brave Bird before it uses Quick Attack.

Seconding the choice of Jolly over Adamant on Talon. Although you may want to run even more speed along the lines of 168-176 evs so that you can outspeed Raikou and smack it with a +2 flare blitz.
Edit: I literally glossed over the analysis before seeing the Raikou mention. Mb