OU Team Tips?

[Toast-ee]

Yes, I plan on keeping Porygon-Z on my team even if he's a BL Pokemon. The ones I'm hesitant about are Gallade and Hippowdon. Any suggestions? I need all of the critique I can get. .______.

Oh yes. If my opponent uses a Gengar, I'm dead meat.

Hippowdon
Impish Nature
Ability: Sandstream
EV Spread: HP = 90, Defense = 252, Sp Defense = 168
Item: Leftovers
Moveset:
Ice Fang
Earthquake
Slack Off
Stealth Rock

Purpose: Set up SR and keep up a good defense

Umbreon
Calm Nature
Ability: Synchronize
EV Spread: HP = 252, Defense = 252, Sp Defense = 6
Item: Leftovers
Moveset:
Payback
Wish
Curse
Taunt

Purpose: Usually used when paired against a strong sweeper. Curse/Wish, then strike back.

Porygon-Z
Timid Nature
Ability: Adaptability
EV Spread: Speed = 252, Sp Attack = 168, Defense = 90
Item: Silk Scarf
Moveset:
Pain Split
Nasty Plot
Hyper Beam
Dark Pulse

Purpose: Sweep with Hyper Beam, though I'm considering taking that out and fixing his move set.

Togekiss
Naive Nature
Ability: Serene Grace
EV Spread: HP = 90, Defense = 252, Sp Defense = 168
Item: Leftovers
Move set:
Air Slash
Thunder Wave
Roost
Attract

Purpose: Togekiss is a girl, so she will do a para-flinch-attraction combo. Works really well. :3

Gallade
Jolly Nature
Ability: Steadfast
EV Spread: HP = 6, Attack = 252, Speed = 252
Item: Leftovers
Move set:
Psycho Cut
Sword Dance
Close Combat
Leaf Blade

Purpose: Physical sweeper. Not my favorite though. D:

Flygon
Jolly Nature
Ability: Levitate
EV Spread: HP = 6, Attack = 252, Speed = 252
Item: Choice Scarf
Move set:
Earthquake
Outrage
Stone Edge
Fire Punch

Purpose: All around man, meant to hit hard and fast.

 

[Dexington]

Scarf Flygon should always have U-Turn for scouting purposes. I'd say get rid of Fire Punch or Stone Edge, but it's all up to you anyway.

I don't know much about Gallade, so can't help you there.

That Togekiss may be a bit gimmicky outside of Shoddy where everyone keeps their Pokes male. I'd say Aura Sphere > Attract.

For Porygon Z, Tri Attack is better than Hyper Beam on a NP set. You use hyper beam, KO something, then Lucario/Scizor come in, Swords Dance and sweep. Not worth it.

Interesting Umbreon set, but again I'm no expert.

My Hippowdon lead is similar, but runs Toxic over ice fang. He can survive and outstall a lot of things that way, something to think of if you like.

 

[Troggy]

Dexington made a few good points already, but since this team needs serious work, I'll try to offer some more suggestions.

Hippowdon
Impish Nature
Ability: Sandstream
EV Spread: HP = 90, Defense = 252, Sp Defense = 168
Item: Leftovers
Moveset:
Ice Fang
Earthquake
Slack Off
Stealth Rock

Purpose: Set up SR and keep up a good defense

Hippowdon is always a solid lead, but if you aren't running a Sandstorm team or some other sort of Hazard based stall, why use the Hippo over Swampert? Swampert has better offense, a nice typing, and won't wear your team down with perpetual sandstorm. Water is one of the most solid types there is, so it wouldn't hurt to have at least one. You can use a very similar set as this Hippowdon (Stealth Rock / Earthquake / Ice Beam / Roar).

Umbreon
Calm Nature
Ability: Synchronize
EV Spread: HP = 252, Defense = 252, Sp Defense = 6
Item: Leftovers
Moveset:
Payback
Wish
Curse
Taunt

Purpose: Usually used when paired against a strong sweeper. Curse/Wish, then strike back.

This one doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The nature is wrong (Payback is physical, switch to Careful or Sassy), and the EV spread is strange as well. If you are trying to utilize Curse, pump some EVs into SpD so that you can take those hits while you set up Curses.

This set is just asking to be destroyed by Lucario/Scizor/Heracross/etc. Lucario in particular has a 4x Resist to your only attack and can set up with Swords Dance twice as fast as you can Curse. Taunt isn't of much value in that situation since you are slower.

Obviously any kind of Curse Umbreon needs to have those kinds of Pokemon out of the way to have a chance of killing stuff, so you either need some insurance on this set (Something like Yawn to force them out), or counter those Pokemon with the rest of your team. You have some decent answers to those threats, but you need to be concious of this if you are going to leave this Umbreon as a potential Curse 'sweeper'.

Review the Smogon page for some options, as Umbreon can fill some different roles if you don't want to have your team built around a Cursing Umbreon.

Porygon-Z
Timid Nature
Ability: Adaptability
EV Spread: Speed = 252, Sp Attack = 168, Defense = 90
Item: Silk Scarf
Moveset:
Pain Split
Nasty Plot
Hyper Beam
Dark Pulse

Purpose: Sweep with Hyper Beam, though I'm considering taking that out and fixing his move set.

Some housekeeping first. Why do you have 90 Def EVs? Do those help you to survive a Scizor Bullet Punch or something to that effect? That particular example is irrelevant since Scizor resists both of your attacks, but if there isn't some logic behind it I'd recommend moving them back into Special Attack since Timid nature already drops your power output.

Dexington already mentioned it, but drop Hyper Beam for Tri Attack. The power seems tempting, but it just is not worth it. Pain Split seems a bit gimmicky to me as well. It could help against Blissey I suppose, but she can still Paralyze you, making Pory-Z a very easy target.

Again, review some of your options and try to rework this so is more focused. So far in this team you have two setup sweepers that aren't supported by the rest of the team and are pretty difficult to use when compared to the bog standards like DD Mence/Tar/Gyara, SD Luke/Scizor/Hera, etc.

Togekiss
Naive Nature
Ability: Serene Grace
EV Spread: HP = 90, Defense = 252, Sp Defense = 168
Item: Leftovers
Move set:
Air Slash
Thunder Wave
Roost
Attract

Purpose: Togekiss is a girl, so she will do a para-flinch-attraction combo. Works really well. :3

Again, some wierd things going on. Naive nature on a Togekiss? That is a strange choice given the fact that you are running no Physical attacks on this set, and Togekiss has a great Special Defense stat you should be utilizing (Try Calm). I have never used a Togekiss myself so I can't offer specific EV spread suggestions. However, I would recommend starting with 252 HP EVs if you are going for a Bulky supporter, then allocate the rest accordingly. Togekiss might appreciate some amount of speed EVs, but that will depend on what you are trying to counter/mess with.

Attract is quite gimmicky, as has been mentioned. The easiest choice is probably Aura Sphere as it adds a lot to your coverage.

Gallade
Jolly Nature
Ability: Steadfast
EV Spread: HP = 6, Attack = 252, Speed = 252
Item: Leftovers
Move set:
Psycho Cut
Sword Dance
Close Combat
Leaf Blade

Purpose: Physical sweeper. Not my favorite though. D:

Gallade is yet another very difficult to use sweeper with little help from his teammates. Notice how all your primary sweepers are relatively slow, and none have priority moves to make up for it. Gallade does learn Shadow Sneak which can add some usefulness, but it has low base power and lacks STAB.

Still have to watch out for Scizor as Gallade has pretty poor physical defenses. However, he does have a good typing and great Special Defense, so with some Reflect support, he could be pretty dangerous.

You have Togekiss to spread Paralysis, but keep in mind that the major threats to Gallade/Umbreon/Pory-Z will not be switching into or staying in against Togekiss. It may be useful to have Thunder Wave on something that lures in Pokemon that counter your sweepers. One example would be when you are facing Gengar, since you mentioned your team is fairly weak to him. If you can find a suitable lure for Gengar, you may be able to Paralyze it, preventing it from stopping your sweepers. Although with that perspective, adding Shadow Sneak to Gallade now makes a lot more sense, as it will do massive damage to Gengar.

[Flygon
Jolly Nature
Ability: Levitate
EV Spread: HP = 6, Attack = 252, Speed = 252
Item: Choice Scarf
Move set:
Earthquake
Outrage
Stone Edge
Fire Punch

Purpose: All around man, meant to hit hard and fast.

Flygon is quite a good Choice Scarf user. You do need to include U-Turn over Stone Edge or Fire Punch, since the first few times Flygon gets in the battle you will likely U-Turn out to see what your opponent's counters are. Other than that it is a standard set that in my experience works pretty well.

When you rebuild this team you need to pick one or two of those sweepers and try to make the team function well around them, as right now you seem to have a potpourri of strategies that don't mesh well together. The powerful and fast wall breakers and sweepers that are all over OU will be able to tear this team to pieces before you can get your setup done.

It would also be helpful to take a look at the most common and dangerous threats that you may be facing. Right now you lack answers for many of them, putting your team on the defensive where it will be easy to pick apart.

 

[Sylver Hummingbird]

maybe instead of Hippowdon, you could do a Tyranitar. you get Sandstream and the use of an almost Uber Pokemon.

 

[Troggy]

maybe instead of Hippowdon, you could do a Tyranitar. you get Sandstream and the use of an almost Uber Pokemon.

Tyranitar is a good Pokemon, but I was trying to make the point that a Sandstorm is not very beneficial to this team. He can use a sturdy lead that sets up Stealth Rock but doesn't set up a Sandstorm instead.

Tyranitar is not a very good fit here anyway since the team has issues with fighting types as it is. Tyranitar is a sitting duck most of the time against Lucario/Scizor/Infernape/Heracross where a bulky lead like Swampert could at least withstand some of their assaults.

 

[Dopey]

Porygon-Z can't afford to just be a sitting duck for a turn. Drop Hyper Beam. Tri-Attack is your best bet here.

For Gengar, try giving a Scarf to Porygon-Z. It can come in on Shadow Ball, then kill with Dark Pulse(even w/o a Nasty Plot, its Sp attack is pretty stellar).

 

[coolking503]

I think Troggy pretty much covered every thing you need, but another reason attract may not work on togekiss is because blissey may switch in commonly and is always female.

 

[PlatinumDude]

Why is your Umbreon Calm? That's +Special Defense, -Attack. You're running a physical attack there.

Change the nature to Sassy, and try these EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 SDef

 

[Toast-ee]

Okay.. Thank you everyone. Should I try having a Calm Rester in here? Any sweeper suggestions? Thanks. x.x

 

[coolking503]

It would be nice if you updated the OP so we can see what you've changed. Also, you tell us, how has your team been doing? Why do you think you need a calm rester or a different sweeper? We aren't testing the team, you are.