Scam!!! Criminally Good

Pokemon ScarletViolet VGC Regulation D Team

Hello! Tofu and Snorlax here, with our new Regulation D rental team that has performed extremely well already. DetectivePikaVGC came to me with the concept and we worked on it together! His input was invaluable and gave us the perfect base to create what ended up being quite the early anti-meta team!

__________________________________________________________

Teambuilding Process

*Just to let everyone know I know the spreads can definitely be tweaked and be more optimal and that this was quite a quick, despite thought out, build*

So initially the first roster started out with the following Pokémon:

https://pokepast.es/12d46306789f08d3

[Pika's Thoughts]

"Heatran helped to wall fairy types and dealt with Amoonguss, which was further fortified by Overcoat Enamorous-Therian. Landorus-Therian also provided pivoting power with Intimidate to further compliment the bulk of the team.

Corviknight was also a primary choice due to how many physical attackers are in the current meta and as a particularly good answer to Ursaluna. Even a super effective hit on a +2 Defense Corviknight hardly does anyhthing and you can return sustained damage with Body Press. Rocky Helmet also helped against all the Rapid-Strike Urshifus that are around. This leads into the reason why Ting-Lu is also around: It helps bait out Urshifu and add another layer of damage mitigation with Vessel of Ruin.

Spectrier is used to really hit it where it burns. Lowering the physical damage output using a fast Will-O-Wisp and then hitting back harder with Hex. It also accounts for Tera-Ghost Ursaluna's which is a common defensive Terastalise to improve their matchup into Iron Defense Pokémon, Extreme Speed Dragonite, or Close Combat Urshifu, and always OHKOs with Hex. This gives them a gotcha moment where you have answers for their attempted counterplay."

I totally agreed with Pika's thoughts after glancing over the team as the logic all made sense, and I was intrigued cause I love Corviknight and it seemed like a style of team I would like.

From here I noticed a few things after playing the team out on Showdown:

  • Extremely bad matchup to Rain Hyper Offense, almost an auto-loss
  • Ting-Lu feels a little bit of a utility bot, but didn't really feel it brought much else. However it did still feel a bit key in some matchups
  • Landorus-T was extremely underwhelming
  • Corviknight was really solid
  • Enamorous didn't provide much of anything aside from good offensive coverage.

Which led us to our second iteration:

https://pokepast.es/018a51f4c6630ca3

My logic here was to add some more form of damage mitigation in the form of Intimidate for Cresselia/Ursaluna TR teams, without being weak to Chien-Pao like Landorus-T is, with Iron Hands improving the Rain matchup with added Fake Out for general utility. Flutter Mane was just splashed on there as added offense into things like Urshifu-Paonite. Substitute is also good to bait out Sucker Punch and Spore.

However we then ran into an issue of feeling like we didn't really have much offensive power to blow through certain teams, and that the previous aforementioned notes still felt true.

Me and Pika both expressed concerns about this, and I decided to test out an interesting concept I've been thinking about: Leer Thundurus-Incarnate. I wanted to pair it with Acrobatics Roaring Moon (something I think can be really good this Regulation) but opted for Single-Strike Urshifu for stronger pressure into teams that have already attempted to counter Rapid-Strike Urshifu. I also opted for Choice Band to see just how far we could push the offensive limits of the team which is how we got to here:

https://pokepast.es/30cd490e4e80e109

The Urshifu-Thundurus duo dealt a wicked blow (pun intended) to my ladder opponents and impressed me completely with how well it performed as you can see:

72.3% GXE at Rank 43 on the Showdown ladder made me extremely happy, particularly the GXE. Hitting Rank 19 in Masterball was also a nice cherry on top despite it holding less weight to me relative to the established Showdown ladder due to how fierce the early Regulation D ladder race seems to be.

Please excuse the fact I had a high number of losses, those were mostly to your classic ladder memes in Ultra Ball, RNG was not kind to me.

Regardless, I think we've made a good first impression on Regulation D so this keeps me motivated to see what else we could figure out. On to the sets!

Sets

Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet

Ability: Mirror Armor   
Tera Type: Dragon  
EVs: 244 HP / 252 SpD / 12 Spe  
Calm Nature  
IVs: 0 Atk  
- Iron Defense  
- Body Press  
- Taunt  
- Roost

Corviknight is definitely a huge win condition and has single-handedly won games even if indirectly. As Pika already mentioned, Corviknight has amazing natural bulk into the physical metagame, hence all the bulk is focused on the side where Corviknight needs a little bit of help. Rocky Helmet also allows you to win games even in times where you can't directly kill the target such as an Annihilape. The Taunt prevents any sort of setup in front of you and can force certain physical targets to attack you and KO themselves off of Rocky Helmet. Even if this isn't the case, after being set-up in a favourable 1v1 scenario, you have an out in either PP Stalling or Timer Stalling and ensuring that you Roost at the last second to have higher overall HP percentage to get the win.

Set is also optimised to reduce Foul Play damage since we are not using the Attacking stat.

Spectrier @ Focus Sash

Ability: Grim Neigh  
Tera Type: Fairy  
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe  
Timid Nature  
IVs: 0 Atk  
- Protect  
- Will-O-Wisp  
- Hex  
- Draining Kiss

Another set from Pika, with a bit of alteration to add coverage in Draining Kiss and the tera-type from my end, Spectrier can help improve some of the matchups that are potential counters to our team such as Tera-Ghost Ursaluna. The Will-O-Wisp can also provide valuable chip damage in case of a stall endgame combined with Rocky Helmet Corviknight on physical attackers.

I altered the set a little bit to add some coverage with Draining Kiss, as it can really put in the work into certain matchups like opposing Single-Strike Urshifu and Chien Pao. The recovery can also help preserve sash if you have taken minimal chip damage.

  • 252 SpA Tera-Fairy Spectrier Draining Kiss  vs. 4 HP  / 0 SpD Chien-Pao: 158-188 (101.2 - 120.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
  • 252 SpA Tera-Fairy Spectrier Draining Kiss) vs. 4 HP  / 0 SpD Urshifu-Rapid Strike: 168-200 (95.4 - 113.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
  • 252 SpA Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 4 HP  / 0 SpD Urshifu-Rapid Strike: 180-213 (102.2 - 121%) -- guaranteed OHKO
  • 252 SpA Spectrier Draining Kiss vs. 4 HP  / 0 SpD Urshifu-Single Strike: 188-224 (106.8 - 127.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
  • 252 SpA Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP  / 4 SpD Tera-Ghost Ursaluna: 288-338 (121.5 - 142.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Gyarados @ Safety Goggles

Ability: Intimidate  
Tera Type: Steel  
EVs: 228 HP / 60 Atk / 84 Def / 92 SpD / 44 Spe  
Impish Nature  
- Waterfall  
- Thunder Wave  
- Taunt  
- Dragon Tail
  • -1 252 Atk Sword of Ruin Chien-Pao Ice Spinner vs. 228 HP  / 84+ Def Gyarados: 58-69 (29.1 - 34.6%) -- 5.1% chance to 3HKO
  • 60 Atk Gyarados Waterfall vs. 252 HP  / 0 Def Ursaluna: 114-134 (48.1 - 56.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
  • 107 Speed to outspeed Dragapult after Thunder Wave.

Gyarados adds strong switch in power and damage mitigation with Intimidate, and a real option to stop Trick Room from going up with Dragon Tail, which forces your target to switch out. This can also be great to force mispositioned board states for your opponent to really pressure them. Thunder Wave is always great speed control and compliments Hex Spectrier very well.

Iron Hands @ Assault Vest

Ability: Quark Drive   
Tera Type: Grass  
EVs: 156 HP / 100 Atk / 252 SpD  
Adamant Nature  
- Fake Out  
- Heavy Slam  
- Wild Charge  
- Drain Punch
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Beads of Ruin Flutter Mane Dazzling Gleam vs. 156 HP  / 252 SpD Assault Vest Iron Hands: 152-182 (61 - 73%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
  • 252+ SpA Beads of Ruin Chi-Yu Heat Wave vs. 156 HP  / 252 SpD Assault Vest Iron Hands: 61-73 (24.4 - 29.3%) -- 99.9% chance to 4HKO
  • Both max damage rolls = 255, which means this double up never OHKOs

Iron Hands adds a lot of great offensive pressure, sustain and utility, and I think is going to be one of the more important Pokemon in the metagame due to how good its STABs are.

This was a set that I used mostly for Regulation C, but I can infer what calcs it lives from these two damage rolls.

Heavy Slam helps threaten Flutter Mane, beat out Minimize gimmicks, and add a way to damage Landorus-T. Volt Switch can be used to add additional pivoting power but I prefer the coverage.

Single-Strike Urshifu @ Choice Band

Ability: Unseen Fist  
Tera Type: Ghost  
EVs: 220 Atk / 36 Def / 252 Spe  
Jolly Nature  
- Wicked Blow  
- Sucker Punch  
- U-turn  
- Close Combat
  • 252+ Atk Choice Band Sword of Ruin Tera-Normal Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP  / 36 Def Urshifu-Single Strike: 147-174 (84 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
  • 252 Atk Sword of Ruin Chien-Pao Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP  / 36 Def Tera-Ghost Urshifu-Single Strike: 146-174 (83.4 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Single-Strike Urshifu has a some pros over Rapid-Strike Urshifu:

  • Threatens Cresselia extremely hard, along with both of Ursaluna's Tera-Types (Tera-Normal/Tera-Ghost)
  • Is less punished by Rocky Helmet
  • Dodges Prankster moves such as Thunder Wave from Thundurus

The Choice Band, combined with Leer from Thundurus, means you have an instant delete button against a lot of the current metagame, and can really remove a lot of your opponents resources extremely quickly.

U-turn also helps against things like Wo-Chien which has been popping up, and allows you to pivot very well.

Thundurus @ Covert Cloak

Ability: Prankster  
Tera Type: Grass  
EVs: 228 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 116 Spe  
Bold Nature  
IVs: 0 Atk  
- Thunderbolt  
- Thunder Wave  
- Leer  
- Eerie Impulse
  • 252+ Atk Choice Band Sword of Ruin Tera-Normal Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 228 HP  / 156+ Def Thundurus: 153-180 (83.6 - 98.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
  • -1 252 Atk Sword of Ruin Chien-Pao Ice Spinner vs. 228 HP  / 156+ Def Thundurus: 116-138 (63.3 - 75.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
  • 252 Atk Mystic Water Tera-Water Urshifu-Rapid Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 228 HP  / 156+ Def Thundurus on a critical hit: 156-186 (85.2 - 101.6%) -- approx. 6.3% chance to OHKO

Thundurus provides all the necessary utility for enabling Urshifu:

  • Increasing its damage output with Leer
  • Decreasing damage taken with Eerie Impulse
  • Speed control in Thunder Wave

The big bonus is that you also have a naturally good matchup into Tornadus/Rapid-Strike Urshifu, usually threatening KOs on either slot.

  • 4 SpA Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP  / 0 SpD Tera-Water Urshifu-Rapid Strike: 186-222 (105.6 - 126.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
  • 4 SpA Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP  / 0 SpD Tornadus: 150-176 (96.7 - 113.5%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

Honestly, you could probably take more EVs from Speed to add a more favourable rolls they were leftovers, as long as you don't go below 136 to outspeed Modest Gholdengo for chip situations. Thunderbolt is also significantly more consistent relative to Wildbolt Storm and important for the aforementioned KOs.

Gameplan and Flow

Hyper Offense

Thundurus and Urshifu are extremely strong leads that can easily run through an opposing team's resources hard enough that it can be really dificult for them to deal with closers such as Corviknight or Iron Hands. Gyarados is a common choice regardless if I pick Iron Hands/Corviknight as my closer.

The following lines are the most common ones I use:

  • In case of Fake Out Leads, Tera-Ghost Urshifu into Wicked Blow paired with either Leer/Thunder Wave from Thundurus for increased damage and speed control respectively can be used to delete a neutral slot. This works into something like Flutter Mane.
  • In case of Tailwind leads (Tornadus/Flutter Mane for example), you can Eerie Impulse Flutter Mane to completely reduce its damage output to keep Urshifu safe. Tera is still required here.
  • Alternatively, if this is Tornadus/Rapid-Strike Urshifu, you can:
    • Tera-Ghost to dodge Close Combat and OHKO Tornadus with a Wicked Blow and opposing Rapid-Strike Urshifu with Thunderbolt
    • You can switch into Corviknight to bring Rapid-Strike Urshifu into range with Rocky Helmet to guarantee an OHKO
  • Into Chien-Pao/Dragonite, you can Leer to reduce Dragonite's defense and Tera-Ghost to avoid Sacred Sword from Chien Pao. Since you won't be pressured by Extreme Speed, you're free to remove Dragonite assuming it isn't multiscale. This then flows into using Gyarados to ensure Urshifu does not die to Sucker Punch in case it is a Life Orb variant of Chien-Pao. 

This lead also works as an Anti-Trick Room lead. I've had moments where I have won games by clicking Thunder Wave into my own Urshifu to underspeed the opponent in Trick Room, and simultaneously dodge statuses like Spore.

Please also remember that Close Combat + Leer is always a valid button to press!

Slow Play

This line is a great bulky mode for into Hyper Offense teams as well. Gyarados and Iron Hands can chip away and control the flow of the game to either bring in Spectrier to also add to status with burns, or Corviknight to close out the game depending. This is pretty flexible in what you decide to lead.

Trick Room

  for Physical Teams

for Special teams without anti-priority

Your main win condition into physical based Trick Room teams is to set up Corviknight and leave them in a position where they either have to Tera-Ghost to win the matchup which means either Urshifu or Spectrier can clean up, or lose to Corviknight.

Gyarados can also force Cresselia to switch out using Dragon Tail, but they might be afraid of the Urshifu and end up using Tera Fairy, which is why I prefer not to lead it unless it is with Thundurus.

Against more Special-heavy Trick Room teams, their coverage tends to mostly be resisted by Tera-Dragon Corviknight. If they don't have Indeedee, then Thundurus is a valid bring to potentially be able to make use of Eerie Impulse.

Positioning and making full use of your available utility is going to be quite important.

Most importantly, games will go long with this team, and Corviknight will be in a few endgame positions where it will be doing Not Very Effective damage, but as long as you're outsustaining them, you will win anyways, so don't quit too soon.

Bad Matchups (for now)

**These are going to be worked on for future iterations of the team if we choose to update, but it is pertinent to mention these now!**

Lilligant-Torkoal

You're somewhat dependant on leading Gyarados and having to find a line to either disable or kill Hisuian-Lilligant, or at least prevent its Thunder Wave Torkoal and prevent it from doing too much with Waterfall flinches. Alternatively it's using Iron Hands and Urshifu as a lead and hoping they don't have Tera-Ghost Lilligant.

Ghost Types

Certain Ghost types like Flutter Mane and Gholdengo become a prioritised target if you decide to bring Corviknight, as you cannot hit them. Against physical Ghost types, there is still the possibility of winning the endgame using Rocky Helmet (and hopefully Will-O-Wisp). This is why seeing the bigger picture with the team will be important to proper execution of the gameplan. Luckily you still have strong offensive options into these targets.

Rental

I hope everyone can make good use of this rental, it has done a lot for me at the start of Regulation D and I hope it can help you find your footing in this new metagame! Thanks for reading!