SV OU Stay Salty - Garganacl Balance, Peak 1600 - Feedback Welcome!

[parasytereaper]

Hey everyone! Here's a balance team that I've been playing with recently, to prove that Garg belongs back in OU. I'm relatively new to competitive teambuilding, and would appreciate inputs especially on my EVs. So far my peak has been 1600.

Took some inspiration from this OU Sample Team ,for reference.


The Stay Salty Team:

Overall Strategy: Garganacl and Clefable are potential wincons with their respective setup moves. Corviknight and Gliscor serve as pivots and utility/hazard management, while Zamazenta and Scarf Rotom-W can revenge-kill and pick off mons which would otherwise prevent Garg or Clef from setting up.

Garganacl @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature

• Recover
• Salt Cure
• Curse
• Earthquake

This pokemon annoyed me a lot when I played against it, so I wanted to make a team that utilizes it well against opponents.

The set seems pretty standard: HP and SpD investment keeps it resistant to special attackers which it can switch into without discomfort, and then set up a Def boost with Curse. Salt Cure allows it to deal reliable chip damage and pressure out potential checks, while Earthquake is the primary damaging move. I trigger Tera Water often, since it eliminates common weaknesses like Water, Ground, and Fighting - this allows it to win the game single-handedly if the opponent doesn't have a strong grass/electric special attacker, or a mon that specifically checks it like Amoongus or Toxapex.

Potential Changes: A Body Press + Iron Defense set is also something I've considered, which may help it set up faster - but can't hit ghosts well since it loses the Atk boost on Salt Cure.

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk

• Moonblast
• Calm Mind
• Wish
• Protect

Clefable is the alternate wincon with a Calm Mind setup. Since Garg is already immune to status, I wanted Unaware over Magic Guard in order to check opposing setup sweepers. Another advantage is that opponents often assume its Magic Guard, and try to setup against Clefable giving me an easy sweep.

Clefable has the inverse strategy of switching into physical attackers and then boosting SpD with Calm Mind. Wish and Protect give it reliable recovery with more PP than Moonlight, and also allows it to heal other team members who don't have their own recovery. Wish + Protect also allows it to PP-stall a single enemy move in a pinch. Tera Steel gives it resistances to Steel and Poison, but I find that it suffers a bit against common Fire types like Iron Moth.

Potential Changes: a different Tera like maybe Poison.

Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Mirror Armor
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature

• U-turn
• Defog
• Brave Bird
• Roost

Both Garg and Clefable are now vulnerable to hazards, so hazard removal is needed via Defog.

Corviknight runs a defensive utility set with Rocky Helmet, to switch in to physical attacks reliably. U-turn provides momentum, Roost gives longevity, and Brave Bird keeps it from being too passive. I've never used the Tera on this pokemon ever.

Potential Changes: adding some special bulk could be useful because special attackers shred through Corv otherwise. Heavy-duty Boots might also be more suited to the hazard removal role than Rocky Helmet.

Zamazenta @ Life Orb
Ability: Dauntless Shield
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

• Close Combat
• Stone Edge
• Substitute
• Crunch

With the rest of the team being slow, Zamazenta functions as a useful revenge killer with good coverage.

This set is straight from the OU sample team, and functions fairly well. Close Combat is the primary STAB, Stone Edge catches flying types like Moltres/Zapdos and prevents getting statused by a contact move, Crunch provides coverage against Gholdengo, Dragapult, G-Slowking, etc. Substitute helps to predict switches and avoid status moves, helped by Zamazenta's high speed tier. Tera Fighting is used to power-up Close Combat and clean up more effectively.

Potential Changes: Life Orb gives Zamazenta a limited lifespan, and it often can't last as long as the rest of the team - maybe Leftovers or Black Belt is superior. Lack of setup can also make it passive if it can't immediately muscle through, so sacrificing Substitute/Crunch for Howl may be an option.

Rotom-Wash @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk

• Volt Switch
• Will-O-Wisp
• Hydro Pump
• Trick

Rotom-W plays a few useful roles on the team. With high SpA investment, it can act as a revenge-killer with Choice Scarf, outspeeding most unboosted mons. Rotom can also Trick the Scarf away to cripple a defensive mon, typically to disable defensive checks to Garg or Clefable, or to help break stall. Volt Switch allows it to act as a fast pivot with Choice Scarf, and a slow(er) pivot if it loses it. Finally, Wisp can cripple physical attackers and allow Garg or Clef to set up more easily. I chose Tera Ghost, but I've never had to use Tera for this mon either.

Potential Changes: Wisp doesn't synergize well with Scarf, so there might be a better coverage move to add instead. Alternatively, Rotom could go more defensive and trade Scarf for Leftovers instead, swapping Trick for some other move.

Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature

• Knock Off
• Stealth Rock
• U-turn
• Earthquake

Finally, Gliscor is on the team to provide useful utility that the others can't do on their own. Knock Off is a splashable move and invaluable when breaking stall. U-turn gives it momentum, and Earthquake provides some raw damage. Stealth Rock isn't always essential for this team to work, but can be useful in a pinch especially in longer matches with Knock Off removing Boots from opposing pokemon. Tera Water is pretty useful at times to tank heavy hits.

Potential Changes: SpD investment is intended to give it more rounded defenses, since Corv is already physically defensive - but makes it easy to kill with boosted physical attacks. Protect might also be better than U-turn to double the recovery chances of Poison Heal.


What the team struggles with:

1) Kingambit
Kingambit is one of the most common pokemon in the tier, and has been a problem for this team to handle. Zamazenta is usually the best counter, but is often weakened by the end of the match and can't handle a boosted Sucker Punch or Iron Head. a Kingambit Tera at the last minute to Fairy, Dark, or Flying usually screws up any response I have.

2) Stall
This might be partially due to me getting annoyed and forfeiting, but the team could handle stall better. It doesn't have a lot of immediate damage on tap, and set up from Garg or Clef is usually shot down by Unaware mons or Amoongus/Toxapex with their stat-reset moves. The few resources I have are to attempt a Trick with Rotom to cripple a critical mon, or Knock Off from Gliscor.

3) Strong Wallbreakers
Due to the overall low speed of the team, they often get overwhelmed by strong wallbreakers, especially with Tera. Examples include Ogerpon, Ursaluna Blood-Moon, Walking Wake, and Gholdengo.


Would love to hear your suggestions to improve things! Garg is the only pokemon I'm attached to here, the rest can potentially be replaced by better ones.

 

[Baloor]

hey just a few things.

-> honestly this team is going to be one of those that will probably function better without hazard removal and everything being boots. id go gambit here to help with slower teams (like you mentioned) and ghosts like pult and dengo. if ur super bothered about the gambit match up id use tera fighting, lowkick, iron head, sucker (which is still nice vs stall). otherwise, tera dark and the standard set show suffice in breaking while being able to threaten ghold better than tera fighting.

-> waterpon just functions way better as a resist and gives you some more natural speed (scarf rotom not good), very nice vs fat teams as well. Id run standard with knock off > play rough here. encore is also very funny but i do prefer knock just looking at the team at a glance.

put heavy duty boots on clef and make it tera dragon, helps vs ogerpon and iron moth offense if you can get manage to get boosts up with clef. if you decide you dont wanna run unaware anymore for whatever reason. run rocks on this > cm and put spikes on gliscor. dragon would still be a fine option for tera but you also have more options open up like water and grass or some other random tera to spring a surprise on something.

just make it boots, life orb is pretty eh in general in the hazard stack meta. you can keep it as sub if you want, but consider ice fang, iron head or psychic fang as well. id make zama adamant. you can consider anything tera that resists fairy on zama such a steel/fire/psn but fighting is still good to break.

water tera is bad right now, theres a ton you can experiment here with tbh. in terms of in general good options, i feel fairy/electric would be your best bet in the current landscape of things. feel free to try out teras just dont use anything weak to water grass coverage. id also mix the evs on garg, use the spread on the sample team you linked imo.

not much to say, id just add a bit of speed. the sample team you listed used 12 which probably works. lots of people are creeping no speed gliscor rn. id try out other teras like grass/steel but water is still good. its gliscor so keep in mind toxic is still an option > knock if you feel you're too passive.

 

[parasytereaper]

Thanks Baloor!

Let me try out over , might give some much-needed speed control and offensive power. Thanks for the EV notes as well.

With the change of -> , I'd be having all physical attackers apart from Clefable. I'm wondering how I'd best handle defensive mons like Iron Defense or Bulk Up ?

 

[Whaloob]

Thanks Baloor!

Let me try out over , might give some much-needed speed control and offensive power. Thanks for the EV notes as well.

With the change of -> , I'd be having all physical attackers apart from Clefable. I'm wondering how I'd best handle defensive mons like Iron Defense or Bulk Up ?

I’m not Baloor but unaware should handle those two well unless is running heavy slam (bulk up needs attack investment to 2HKO with headlong rush, and it generally doesn’t have it, while moonblast does 75-88% on max hp ). Even unboosted heavy slam is an unfavorable roll to 2HKO despite being the full 120BP! Tera electric can also switch into IDBP if it has more physdef investment such as in the standard curse spread. It can even switch in as a rock type the first turn zama is out as +1 body press and heavy slam don’t 2HKO, while +3 body press doesn’t 2HKO tera electric and +5 doesn’t 2HKO +1 tera electric . This is assuming a 252/156+/100 spread on and 0 attack EVs/88 def EVs on . Of course, this goes out the window if it’s substitute + IDBP, which along with heavy slam would be pretty problematic for your team as it stands. As both tera electric and naturally typed can handle (at least if it lacks encore or taunt, which beats tera dragon anyway), I’m gonna contradict Baloor and suggest tera water on to ensure clean matchups against and .

You could consider replacing wishtect with moonlight in order to fit one of a slew of other moves such as flamethrower, encore, knock off, twave, ice beam, or psyshock, although I’m not readily suggesting this switch is preferred. I will say encore with tera water could come in handy for the matchup since using tera water and encoring it into iron head makes dealing with it much easier and if you’ve already tera’d you still benefit greatly from encoring it into sucker punch or even kowtow cleave (which doesn’t ohko even with black glasses, tera dark, and 5 allies fainted).

 

[parasytereaper]

I’m not Baloor but unaware should handle those two well unless is running heavy slam (bulk up needs attack investment to 2HKO with headlong rush, and it generally doesn’t have it, while moonblast does 75-88% on max hp ). Even unboosted heavy slam is an unfavorable roll to 2HKO despite being the full 120BP! Tera electric can also switch into IDBP if it has more physdef investment such as in the standard curse spread. It can even switch in as a rock type the first turn zama is out as +1 body press and heavy slam don’t 2HKO, while +3 body press doesn’t 2HKO tera electric and +5 doesn’t 2HKO +1 tera electric . This is assuming a 252/156+/100 spread on and 0 attack EVs/88 def EVs on . Of course, this goes out the window if it’s substitute + IDBP, which along with heavy slam would be pretty problematic for your team as it stands. As both tera electric and naturally typed can handle (at least if it lacks encore or taunt, which beats tera dragon anyway), I’m gonna contradict Baloor and suggest tera water on to ensure clean matchups against and .

You could consider replacing wishtect with moonlight in order to fit one of a slew of other moves such as flamethrower, encore, knock off, twave, ice beam, or psyshock, although I’m not readily suggesting this switch is preferred. I will say encore with tera water could come in handy for the matchup since using tera water and encoring it into iron head makes dealing with it much easier and if you’ve already tera’d you still benefit greatly from encoring it into sucker punch or even kowtow cleave (which doesn’t ohko even with black glasses, tera dark, and 5 allies fainted).

Thanks for the detailed critique!

I'll consider playing with my Teras a bit more on Clef and Garg to find the two that cover the team's weaknesses the best.

And Sub + Body Press Zama has lost me a bunch of games so far - either because of Heavy Slam beating Clefable, or Clefable not being around because it was weakened by other setup sweepers it was supposed to check. So that seems like a chink in the armour here - it might be worth adding another Encore or Taunt user maybe?