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pokepaste:
Introduction
So, this team was created after I was looking through the UU list and thinking of mons that could work in OU, but were not ranked yet in the VR. I came across a few mons I wanted to try (metagross was one of them), but something that stood out to me was Johto-Slowking. It is a perfectly fine mon, yet is not ranked at all on the VR. Of course, that's because its galar counterpart is mostly superior, but I wanted to see if its unique traits could be enough to set it apart. Thus, this team was created, which is a Balance team that aims to use bulky mons which can either disrupt the opponent or deal big damage to them.
Proof of Peak
I was so close to 1600s, in the battle it said I reached 1600 but the user part said otherwise. Preceded to drop to 1510s but hovered around 1550s before dropping a bit to 1520s.
The Team
Slowking @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Chilly Reception
- Future Sight
- Focus Blast
Of course, the main mon of this team, slowking johto is a mon that is mostly outclassed by its galarian counterpart due to its better special attack and better typing against key meta threats. However, slowking johto as some good qualities too that its normal counterpart can't do. Firstly, its typing. Water/psychic is a pretty good defensive typing. This allows it to take on sun teams better, specifically wake is a much easier matchup, fire type special attackers can't do as much primarily iron moth and heatran, though it can take on gouging if needed, and it can take on ground type attacks, like being able to take any of tusks hits from full. This is big, as these are meta relevant threats that teams need to take account of. Secondly, scald. This is a big tool for slowking, and one that is the main reason why you use it. Scald allows it to not be as passive as even resists or mons that can threaten slowking don't like taking a scald. Finally, slowking is not as stonewalled by steel types as glowking is. This is big for not letting stuff like ghold or corv in for free. Onto the movest. The evs are the same that Glowking uses, as it means against neutral hits its taking similar damage. Tera dark is a good defensive typing and means it can wall ghold easier and take on dark types temporarily. Scald as mentioned above is basically mandatory on slowking in order to set itself apart and dish out passive damage. Chilly reception allows glowking to get a teammate in while taking the damage and also allows kyurem to fire off 100% accurate blizzards. Future sight provides good damage and if positioned right, can force big damage with another teammate attacking. Finally, focus blast is I admit, the most replacable. Something like flamethrower or slack off could be used, but focus blast allows slowking to hit dark types that might switch in, with it ohko'ing kingambit and doing good damage to roaring moon. Overall, slowking johto is a mon that I feel is underexplored in this meta and it totally can make a difference when compared to its galar counterpart.
Kyurem @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Draco Meteor
The strong attacker of the team, kyurem is a offensive juggernaut that can really take down a team that doesn't have a good resist to its attacks. This is mostly the standard set, freeze dry is good stab that hits water types, earth power deals with fire and steel types that can wall freeze dry and draco meteor can be a big nuke button. Blizzard was chosen over ice beam due to slowking setting up snow, which can ruin an unprepared team which uses frail ice resists. Combine that with tera ice, and even something like specially defensive corviknight or gholdengo takes massive damage. HDB allows Kyurem to switch in and out with hazards up to land big hits. Overall, Kyurem is not really special in this team, but it does have a good role in dealing massive damage.
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Roost
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
The physical wall and spiker of the team, skarmory is able to wall a lot of powerful threats and set up hazards while getting chip on them. This is basically the standard skarmory set, with enough speed to outspeed 252 ev gambit, spikes to get progress and wear things down, roost to stay healthy, iron defense to boost alongside physical threats and body press to deal good damage. Rocky helmet is also standard, but I chose tera water in order to deal with weavile more effectively that doesn't lose much on other mons, only being meow, rilla and ogerpon who hurt it harder, which are walled by the base typing. Overall, skarmory is just a good physical wall for the team that allows it to keep a lot of threats at bay.
Darkrai @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Bad Dreams
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Trick
- Sludge Bomb
The speed control of the team, scarf darkrai can pick off a lot of fast threats that can setup on the team. I originally had knock off on the set, but scarf trick is probably better as others as said, so I went with that. With scarf, dakrai outspeeds basically everything in the meta, even some +2 mons such as venusaur in sun and basculegion in rain. The moveset is standard, dark pulse is a strong stab option, ice beam to hit grounds, dragons, flyings and grasses, trick to cripple more defensive teams and sludge bomb to deal with fairy types as well as helping with grass types. Tera poison is good both defensively and offensively, resisting the fighting and poison type moves aimed at darkrai while also boosting sludge bomb's power. Overall, darkrai gives the team some much needed speed and can revenge kill faster threats that may hang on with a sliver of health.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 244 HP / 248 Def / 16 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Dual Wingbeat
- Protect
- Swords Dance
The ground immunity, flying immunity, setup mon and another physical wall, SD gliscor is able to thrive on this team. The ev spread is standard and allows gliscor to take many hits effectively including super effective ones. Protect is mandatory on any gliscor set, and SD is of course to boost up Gliscor's power. Earthquake is just good stab but the fourth move was a lot more difficult. I didn't want to pick knock off as that meant Gliscor was walled by opposing Gliscor and tusk. I at first picked crabhammer and while that was okay, it did mean waterpon was let in for free and failed to get as much damage as I hoped. People suggested facade, and while facade gliscor is great, it sadly is completely walled by air balloon gholdengo, who can start doing its stuff, which isn't the best thing in the world. One option that stood out to me was dual wingbeat. Yes, ghold also resists the move and the metal birds are still hard walling it, but it crucially pops gholds air balloon, which means it can't switch in again freely. Dual wingbeat also hits waterpon, rilla, tusk and valiant for good damage. Thus, I believe on this set it is the best option. Finally, tera normal is an interesting move. With this, gliscor completely walls standard dragapult sets and ghold will no longer be able to use shadow ball on it. It's also just a good overall defensive type, as besides fighting, which you normally resist, gliscor is not going to be taking much from most physical hits. Overall, gliscor is a dynamic mon that can really put in the work and is a fundemental part of the team.
Tinkaton @ Air Balloon
Ability: Pickpocket
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 HP / 56 SpD / 200 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Encore
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
Tinkaton is the disruptive mon on this team and is able to check quite a few mons while setting up rocks. The evs are tweaked a bit from normal tinkaton. I decided to remove a few speed evs since tinkaton won't really want to take in gouging or lando-t, but invested more in special defense in order to take on special attackers easier. Tera ground is a potential scapegoat against raging bolt (who I strangely didn't see much) as you can tera ground and then encore them into said electric move. Stealth rocks allows tinkaton to make consistent progress against opponents, encore can completely nullify setup mons or mons that hit it with a not very effective move, play rough can destroy dragons and specifically deals with roaring moon well and knock off gives it a lot of disruption while hitting ghold for some damage. Air balloon pickpocket allows tinkaton to be a knock absorber sometimes and makes it one of the best checks to moon. Overall, Tinkaton is a really disruptive mon on this team, being able to make tons of progress while still being good defensively.
Threats
Okay, this threat list looks long, but most are able to dealt with (except maybe one) decently easily. They just mostly require good positioning or are one specific set that the team struggles with.
Dragapult is not too difficult to deal with, but still can be a pain. Tinkaton and gliscor are good options to take its hits, while darkrai outspeeds and kos it. If its dd, skarm walls it. Tera normal gliscor is the key here if its the status set, as it can tera normal and set up on it. But scout it first, otherwise you have wasted your tera. Kyurem is a pain regardless of set (except if its dd, skarm just destroys that set) as it hits really hard. Specs sets can be played around with tinkaton and either skarm/gliscor, but HDB variants are more difficult. Slowking can try to fish for a scald burn (or a focus blast, but that's unreliable) and then stall it from there.
Ogerpon wellspring is a pain for this team, but it can be dealt with. If its anything other than sd, stabs and play rough, kyurem is your key. If it is that set, get in skarmory quickly, and set up some id's. You will have to play around the crit, but its all you can do. Gliscor you can also use if you tera normal and get about 30% chip (hope they don't tera) which dakrai is usually what gets said chip. Honestly, just pressure it offensively with hazards to limit its setup opportunities.
Only found one rotom wash, but it played me like a fiddle. You can technically hit it super effectively with kyurem, but they most likely will tera steel. The only thing I can say is make them waste their hydro pump pp by cleverly switching between gliscor and other teammates. If you can do that, and I was able, then gliscor just walls it. Gliscor can even potentially take one hydro pump if its at full health, so you have a bit of breathing room.
I'm not talking about normal gambit, that's decently easy for the team to deal with. No, I'm talking about tera ghost gambit. This set just sits on skarmory, and the other members can't do much. Tinkaton can do well if you catch the sd, as you can then knock something off. Dakrai can also help, but only if it isn't set up, as it can die to +2 sucker.
Most zama sets are easily outplayed with the combo of slowking, skarm and even gliscor or darkrai. However, roar zama can be difficult to deal with. The main option is to get a scald burn with slowking as it can take two crunches, or if its not lefties/at low hp, future sight can work. Of course, tera makes this more difficult so I would suggest go for scald. Just pray to the rng gods.Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2123453091?p2 This is a replay with a bit of an older version of the team, as darkrai has knock off and gliscor has tera steel. Nonetheless, this shows how gliscor can output tons of pressure by tanking hits and responding, tinkaton can act as an annoying mon and slowking is there doing its own thing.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2123545525?p2 Also a bit of an older replay, this shows how slowking can tank hits just as well, though an unfortunate tera electric thunderbolt destroys it. Also gliscor clutching it up.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2123564860 Tinkaton shows its worth quite well here, allowing gliscor to set up and break open a huge hole in the teams defenses, with it coming back in to force a raging bolt out and then wall a comfey.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2124179333 Yes, I orignally had crabhammer as gliscors coverage move. Sue me. Anyways, tinkaton does its annoying stuff, with slowking helping play around volcanion, dragonite and gholdengo, with a scald burn eventually sealing the win.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2124251487 An early forfeit match, but I think it was good to show how slowking can dominate sun. Although they made some questionable decisions (like sacking wake), slowking walls a lot of their team, especially wake which is usually hard to play around.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2124253051 This is one of slowking's best matchups. Slowking is able to reset rain and get kyurem in, which the opposing team doesn't have much of an answer to. From here, careful positioning around rain threats won the match (I nearly choked though, but we stay winning)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2124356791 Despite the fact that tinkaton got haxxed, I was still able to pull the win through. Darkrai was the star mon here, taking 3 kos. Slowking, Skarmory and Kyurem also did well in this battle to deal with powerful threats (and gliscor was there, I guess).
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2124391132 A long game, especially since scald decided to not get a burn for the first 90 turns. But regardless, we pulled through in the end with the combo of slowking, skarmory and gliscor. This game also shows how SD dual wingbeat gliscor can still be great even if it thuds into a rocky helmet resist.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I think this team is pretty great and it really brings out the strengths in every mon. Slowking Johto is a good mon I believe in OU and can fill niches its galarian counterpart can't. This can be crucial in some games where slowking can shine and dominate teams that prepare for the other one. Although some matchups are hard, they are winnable and good plays absolutely make this team thrive.
Also, if anybody wants to put slowking on the VR (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), I'd say C+ or B- is a fair placement. If I was better, I would def nominate it, but of course I'm bad and don't have high level replays (but somebody else can use the team to get those).
Shoutout to Delibird Heart for helping me refine some of the sets, they were wackier before.
Shoutout to the people in the Stallcord who decided to watch the game that almost got me to 1600s (I choked in the match)
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