Flying Fiends ~ Generation 6 OU beta team

Question

Introduction

Hi, Fizz here. I haven't done an RMT in like, ages so I figured I'd do one as a way to celebrate the release of Gen 6. It's not like everyone else has already done that. ;-;

Gen 6 is out finally, and Showdown is updated with basically everything required to play Gen 6 OU. This team is third of many teams that I've made and tested, and it is by far the best. It is built around one of my favourite Pokemon of the new Generation; Talonflame. When one looks at its typing and stats, they think, "straight to NU, no doubt about it." But Talonflame is different. And from that came the three Flying Pokemon core - Togekiss, Dragonite, and Talonflame.

I'd get a ladder rank and replays, but this team laddered mostly while the ladder system wasn't working, and replays are down as well. So it's not going to happen.

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The team

Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent / Mega Launcher
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk

• Scald
• Aura Sphere
• Dark Pulse
• Dragon Pulse

Mega Blastiose is a damn jerk. 135 base Special Attack, very decent defences and a colourful movepool to suit its ability make it a monster. Despite the fact it can't shoot through it's cannons yet; its ingame animation shows it using its mouth. :/

Scald is used to mostly to hit Fire types that Blastoise switches into. It also makes Blastoise a decent way of spreading burns thanks to its good bulk. Aura Sphere hits extremely common Pokemon this gen like Greninja his super effective damage (assuming Dark Pulse doesn't flinch). It hits Steel switching in after a Dragon Pokemon has seen Dragon Pulse. The nerf sucks though, the extra 10 base power would seriously help with killing Specially Defensive Tyranitar. Dark Pulse, like Aura Sphere, gets a nice boost thanks to Blastiose's Ability. It hies annoying Gourgeists, Trevenants and Aegislashes that often want to come it and set up/KO me. Dragon Pulse allows Dragonite to hit Dragons hard, especially Garchomp who is 2HKO'd and Dragonite who is also 2HKO'd provided Ferro had set its Rocks up.

The ease Blastoise had switching in and the raw power its Mega form offers win it a place on the team. 0 IVs in Attack are used to make Foul Play Klefki's job harder.

Talonflame @ nothing (Flying Gem is unreleased)
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk

• Flare Blitz
• Acrobatics
• Swords Dance
• Taunt

Never ever underestimate Talonflame. Once this thing gets a boost, it's very hard to stop. And this is thanks to Taunt, a very underrated move on this bird. It allows it to turn Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Smeargle and many others into setup fodder. What's really funny is that people think switching out and switching back in and using Whirlwind / Spore works. :P

Flare Blitz is there it hit Steels hard. It blows Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Klefki and Forretress to bits at the cost of a bit of life. Acrobatics is the reason this set is so amazing; 110 base power and the ability to KO things like Hydreigon and Garchomp with priority is absolutely amazing; and thanks to Talonflame's ridiculous Speed, Acrobatics will almost always win against other forms of priority. Even +2 Speed Shadow Sneak from Aegislash. Swords Dance allows Talonflame to actually deal damage; otherwise it's Attack stat is pretty terrible.

Timid is used over Adamant to outspeed Adamant Talonflame and Timid Greninja's Water Shuriken while sweeping. 0 SAtk IVs are used to make Power Split less useful for gimmicks that actually use the move.

Togekiss @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk

• Air Slash
• Thunder Wave
• Dazzling Gleam
• Flamethrower

Our favourite troll ParaFlicher returns again for the new generation, and this time it's better than ever. It's new Fairy typing granted it something it has wanted for a very long time. Resistances to Dark and Fighting, and as an added bonus a x4 resistance to U-Turn. With these new abilities, Togekiss can work in OU. It's new Steel and Poison weaknesses suck, but they are both uncommon offensive typings and don't often matter.

Air Slash is basically switch in and flinch a wall to death. A 60% chance of flinching is just beautiful. Thunder Wave pairs amazingly with it and further decreases the opponent's chance of moving. It also cripples things like Aegislash and Talonflame the freaking hate paralysis. It also slows a bunch of thing down to a number Togekiss can outspeed and kill. Heck, paralysis is enough for Togekiss to outpace +3 Speed Cloyster.

Dazzling Gleam is for finishing off thing without a chance of missing, and helps with Rock types which Air Slash does nothing against (not like Togekiss is staying in on them or anything). Flamethrower eats through the bulk to Ferrothorn, Aegislash and many others, and means Togekiss can hit much more than it usually can.

The EV spread maxes out Togekiss' SAtk and guarantees OHKOs on various things at the cost of some bulk. 0 IVs in Attack are used once again to screw with Foul Play and confusion damage.

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk

• Leech Seed
• Power Whip
• Stealth Rock
• Thunder Wave

I needed a Rock resist, so freaking bad. I wanted another Water resist too, since the more resistances to it's weaknesses Talonflame can get the better it performs. Anyway, standard physical wall Ferro right here. A load of amazing resistances in exchange for a Fire weakness half of my team covers? Yes please.

Leech Seed is for things that switch in, so I can switch and give some free recovery to someone who wants it, like Blastoise or Talonflame for the Flare Blitz recoil. It also helps me win stall wars. Power Whip is for Rotom-W mostly, 2HKOing it provided it hasn't Burned me. It also breaks Substitutes, and means that I am not Taunt fodder. Stealth Rock is Stealth Rock. You want it for Volcarona and Talonflame and breaking Multiscale Dragonite. The list goes on. Thunder Wave annoys things that switch in, and gives Togekiss a turn that it would otherwise have to spend paralysing the opponent by itself.

Once again, 0 SAtk IVs for Power Split. Not much else to say really, Ferrothorn is Ferrothorn.

Continued below, character limit

Comments

Nice Team Fizz, really enjoyed your Talonflame set and overall balance. One suggestion is use Hydro Pump>Scald, as i've been told it also gets a Mega Launcher boost. But i like this. +1

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Thanks Mike! I'll give that a shot. Blastoise does need the raw power.

Answer 1

Continued here

Dragonite @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 HP / 128 Spd
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk

• Dragon Claw
• Earthquake
• Fire Punch
• Agility

Weakness Policy has got to be my favourite new item this Gen. And it works so damn well on Dragonite; Muliscale means it can take a super-effective hit, set an Agility, and sweep. After that, it's like Talonflame. Too fast, too powerful, and extremely hard to stop. I forfeited some Speed EVs for some bulk to help sponge some attacks, but it hasn't been too much or a problem. Whatever happens to be faster than Dragonite after an Agility, it can take a hit from.

Dragon Claw is STAB. Used over Outrage because one Fairy and Dragonite is gone. Earthquake is for Steel types like Aegislash, Doublade, etc. that won't appreciate the hit. Fire Punch is for Skarmory mostly, who is 2HKO'd by it after Dragonite gets a Weakness Policy boost. Agility boost my mediocre Speed to respectable levels.

If you've played Gen 6 OU a bit, you would have seen a Weakness Policy Aegislash and lost half your team to it. Well, Dragonite does the same thing, except with Agility. And he does it better overall. The bulk it has saves it from so many moves that Blade Form Aegislash dies to.

Once again, 0 SAtk IVs for Power Split users.

Excadrill @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk

• Earthquake
• Rock Slide
• Rapid Spin
• Poison Jab

Excadrill is a crucial part of this team. Absorbing Thunder Wave, Toxic and Rock moves half the team is weak to and spinning away hazards, this thing serves multiple roles that would otherwise require two Pokemon. Possibly the most unique thing about the set is the Choice Scarf. Everybody thinks Exca is so Sand Rush and Swords Dance that they overlook the chance of a Choice item. And that leads to the death of many things, including Talonflame, who he outspeeds by a long shot (assuming Rock Slide won't miss).

Earthquake has a meaty 100 base power, and coming off Excadrill's huge Attack stat, it is guaranteed to hit hard. Rock Slide is because Excradrill doesn't get Stone Edge. It creates the EdgeQuake coverage that works so well for various Pokemon. Since Exca is so fast, he can outspeed and kill Volcarona and Talonflame and various other Pokemon that have problems with Rock moves. Rapis Spin is so important to this team as it gets rid of Stealth Rock, which can save my three Flying Pokemon, especially Talonflame who will die is he is at 50% of under. Poison Jab is for those Fairies that like to annoy Dragonite. He could use Iron Tail, but is misses too damn much.

Once again, 0 SAtk IVs for Power Split users. They can die a horrible death to Rock Silde. That means you, Shuckle.

Comments

Fire Blast > Fire Punch for weakness policy

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Good point, will add that. Thanks.

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You may want to consider using Mold Breaker > Sand Rush so you can defeat Rotom-W and other common Levitaters in general; the Team appears vulnerable to it with it's Typing Resisting a good portion of the Team, and it's Duak STABs threatening most of it. Factor in WoW from common Bulkier Variants, then you have an even bigger problem because it can cripple both Dragonite and Ferrothorn, the only Pokes that really aren't afraid of Rotom-W.

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Why Poison Jab just to hit Fairies when it has STAB Iron Head? :3

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Because Iron Head is a tutor move from bw2, and as such, is unavailable

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@Vast White: I was debating whether of not to use that or Sand Rush, and for the same reason in Levitators. I decided to use Sand Rush since Tyranitar is so frequent, but I'm still not sure. I'll give Mold Breaker a shot and see is it makes a difference. tbh if Earthquake doesn't KO Rotom, then Excadrill will probably die to a Hydro Pump, so it seems redundant when you could possibly have the ability to have over 850 Speed.
@JarJar: What Lombro said. This an OU beta team, not PokeBank OU. But I can assure you, when I decide to play PokeBank when the app is actually released, that is a change that I am guaranteed to make.

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Ahh. OK.