After recently building mainly weather teams I’ve got bored of their playstyle so decided to go back to balance. Emvee’s recent video reminded me of how good assault vest rhyperior is in the current meta so decided to build a team around it. This is relatively early and the first formulation of the team, however, I went 14-3 on my 1500 testing alt (bringing me to just under 1700) and so thought this team has real potential so would like to hear suggestions on how it could be improved.
Pokepaste link: https://pokepast.es/57c1c2e340dd7d03
Buzzwole @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 144 Def / 4 SpD / 112 Spe
Impish Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Roost
- Toxic
The first thing I thought when trying to build a team around rhyperior was how well it would pair with buzzwole. Buzzwole covers rhyperiors weakness to both urshifu forms alongside ground types, and rhyperior covers buzzwole’s fire and flying weaknesses. This is just a pretty standard defensive buzzwole set to switch in to the majority of physical mons.
Rhyperior @ Assault Vest
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Atk / 144 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Power-Up Punch
The mon I originally decided to build the team around, it’s typing is great against most of the current special attackers such as heatran, and due to its ground typing is a solid magearna answer, with solid rock + AV beating even aura sphere sets. I would appreciate some better EV spread suggestions though, because this was me trying to make the Spdef number pretty, because I wanted at least some attack in order for it to be more threatening to its switch ins. Power up punch is also surprisingly useful, because rhyperior’s natural physical bulk is good enough that it can survive most super effective hits, allowing it to power up punch the switch in then blow it away with one of its STABs/ ice punch.
Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 220 HP / 252 SpA / 36 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Defog
The team needed a defogger and flying type, which Zapdos is great at. I went for an offensive discharge set rather than a defensive pivot because I didn’t want this team becoming too stall oriented, and most of the team is bulky enough that a pivot move isn’t really needed. Modest max special attack is incredible at blowing away ground type switch ins with hurricane (if it somehow hits) as well. I did, however, make this EV spread on the spot, however, because all my saved zapdos spreads are more defensive. I also didn’t put much speed on this because I find the HP more useful on modest sets, and the team isn’t at all weak to Lando-T.
Magearna @ Choice Specs
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Fleur Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Aura Sphere
At this point in the teambuilding process I didn’t know I was going to use primarina so I wanted a fairy type to complete the electric immune, ground immune, dragon immune trio. While I do think that setup magearna is disgusting I wanted more immediate power in the magearna set, and due to trick choice specs this is great against stall.
Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Gunk Shot
- Sucker Punch
- High Jump Kick
I found the team was starting to look quite chansey/ blissey weak with the amount of special attackers so thought this would be a good addition as a really solid physical attacker, also i thought a strong fire STAB would really cover some of this team’s weaknesses like ferrothorn (without any attack investment buzzwole isn’t a good enough ferrothorn check imo). I didn’t want u-turn due to the prominence of moltres/ zapdos and Rocky helmet that just make it really hard to use u-turn with any benefit, also the added move slot is really helpful at giving this mon even more disgusting coverage.
Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
- Scald
At this point I looked for what the team was weak against and realised how it was relatively rain weak, while buzzwole shuts down physical threats like barraskewda and crawdaunt the team crumbled to strong rain boosted special water attacks. I originally considered fini and pex, but thought pex would make the team too defensive and I didn’t need fini because I already had an urshifu check in buzzwole. I also didn’t use slowbro/ slow king for the same reason as pex, even though I do think they would work well. I then saw primarina who I literally have never used this gen so thought might be fun (while I generally avoid 2 of the same types this team is not even remotely fire/ steel/ poison weak so it didn’t seem bad). I literally have no idea about primarina EV spreads or anything, but knew that sub calm mind was really powerful so any EV spread suggestions would be really helpful (also is draining kiss better than moonblast on this set).
Overall this team works a treat, it has no real weaknesses and is generally just doing great on the ladder despite how early it is in the teambuilding process. If any mon was to be replaced I feel like magearna is the least essential, however, it still does a lot and it’s steel typing is really good for the team. I would, however, appreciate better EV spread suggestions (mainly on rhyperior, zapdos and primarina however I think my buzzwole spread might be quite outdated and I’m not too sure what it does so if you have one you think is better I would appreciate hearing it.
I would normally test teams more before publishing, however, this is the most immediately strong team I have made for a long time, so I think that leaving it to the great team builders in this forum would be better.
