Introduction
After both MPL and MWCOP concluding with ORAS Monotype being showcased in both tours, I've decided to share a team I built which picked up usage during both of these tours and is one of the more polarizing and creative teams with a new drip in an otherwise stale metagame in my eyes as of right now. ORAS Monotype is a tier I am passionate about and is my second favorite tier behind ORAS OU and I hope to see it evolve more in the coming future. The idea of this Hyper Offense Water build is based on how Screens Hyper Offense took over in the recent SPL in ORAS OU taking advantage of the lack of Defog in this generation + broken setup sweepers, therefore I wanted to apply this idea to ORAS Monotype with the hope of it being very successful and easy to pilot. Water teams usually comprise of bulky rain offense with Kingdra and Mega Swampert, or Mega Sharpedo + Toxic Spikes balance builds so adding hyper offense to the arsenal of an already viable type has proved to be effective.
Team-Building Process:
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These 2 threats being abused with screens in ORAS OU is where the idea for HO Water began and I knew would find success with it here.
An effective Dual Screens setter + the ability to paralyze the opponent in Rotom-Wash (like Serperior in ORAS OU) is why Rotom-W seemed to be the perfect screens setting option
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The Offensive Stealth Rock setter which is the best one water teams have to offer and has the ability to keep them up. This slot was originally taken by a Swampert with Rindo Berry + Mirror Coat. I elected to switch it to Seismitoad however due to better Speed and the access to Knock Off and Swift Swim capabilities, but both variants are very much usable.
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Two more Pokemon in addition to Manaphy and Mega Gyarados that serve as reliable win conditions and screens abusers vs the landscape of the metagame.
----THE TEAM----
Rotom-Wash @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 SpD
IVs: 0 Speed
Relaxed Nature
Thunder Wave
Reflect
Light Screen
Volt Switch
Rotom-Wash functions as the team's dual screens setter and is the key to this hyper offense team. Allowing it to mimic what Serprior does in ORAS OU in terms of being able to set up Reflect and Light Screen as well as spread paralysis to aid its complementing set up sweepers whom also utilize Substitute. Relaxed nature in addition to 0 ivs in speed gives Rotom-Wash a slow Volt Switch out to safely bring in setup sweepers.
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Seismitoad @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
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Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Stealth Rock
Knock Off
Earthquake
Endeavor /
Ice Punch
Seismitoad is the most reliable offensive Stealth rocker on Water teams. Knock Off can punish Defoggers such as Skarmory and Zapdos and pressures Psychic teams therefore Latios is unable to Defog on you. Ice Punch is an option that allows you to always keep Stealth Rock up vs Zapdos and Endeavor allows both Skarmory and Zapdos to remain low if they choose to Defog freeing up Mega Gyarados and Cloyster to win the game. Endeavor also can be clutch in keeping a potential check to Seismitoads teammates low. Earthquake allows you to keep up Stealth Rock vs Tentacruel, Empoleon. Max Attack allows Seismitoad to not be treated as a passive mon and max speed allows Seismitoad to outspeed Kingdra in the rain if needed.
Manaphy @ Salac Berry
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 236 HP / 160 SpA / 112 Spe
Modest Nature
Tail Glow
Substitute
Surf
Energy Ball
Manaphy with dual screens support is very hard to threaten due to its already insane bulk and is utilized as a breaker being able to setup multiple Tail Glow's and taking very little in return. Substitute allows Manaphy to prevent itself from taking status such as Toxic or Thunder Wave, in addition to being able to Sub down into Salac Berry range and potentially sweep teams with just one Tail Glow boost. Energy Ball allows Manaphy to sweep in the mirror matchup vs other Water teams and Surf is the obvious Water STAB option here.The Speed on Manaphy allows it to outpace base 70s.
Gyarados-Mega @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Dragon Dance
Substitute
Crunch
Earthquake
Mega Gyarados is very potent under screens, much like Manaphy its incredible natural bulk paired with screens support backed by Intimidate allows it to setup Multiple Dragon Dances and sweep teams. Substitute is a fantastic option that prevents Gyarados from getting status'ed, in addition to the fact that it does not break at times with screens support + Intimidate. Psychic teams fear Mega Gyarados and it is able to sub and have it not break vs both Slowbro and Celebi and have them eat their Colbur Berry before Substituting again, setting up multiple Dragon Dance's and winning the game. Earthquake allows Mega Gyarados to hit Rotom-W, in addition to Terrakion, Hydreigon, and Empoleon. However, that last slot can be swapped to Taunt which can stop phazing moves from both Hippowdon, Empoleon, and Skarmory.
Cloyster @ Kings Rock
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Shell Smash
Icicle Spear
Rock Blast
Ice Shard
Cloyster is another setup sweeper which takes advantage of dual screen support, being your main win-con vs Flying and Dragon teams. Standard Shell Smash set can wreak havoc vs the metagame in conjunction with Kings Rock allowing it to flinch down checks such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Jirachi, and Suicune. Ice Shard allows you to out-prioritize Breloom's Mach Punch and Bisharp's Sucker Punch, in addition to being able to OHKO Choice Scarf Latios on Dragon teams. A Jolly Nature is needed in order to outpace Choice Scarf users such as Victini, Jirachi, and Terrakion.
Keldeo @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Substitute
Calm Mind
Scald
Secret Sword
Lastly, With dual screens support and Calm Mind boosts Substitute + Calm Mind Keldeo is able to setup multiple boosts vs teams. Keldeo is the team's way of reliably beating Steel, Dark, and Normal teams with Secret Sword. Options I've explored over Substitute is Hidden Power Bug to OHKO Celebi at +1 or Icy Wind with Wacan Berry for Thundurus-I. Taunt could always be an alternative over Substitute to deny hazards from Tentacruel and such but I've always found Substitute having more mileage in conjunction with dual screens + Calm Mind.
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 SpD
IVs: 0 Speed
Relaxed Nature
Rotom-Wash functions as the team's dual screens setter and is the key to this hyper offense team. Allowing it to mimic what Serprior does in ORAS OU in terms of being able to set up Reflect and Light Screen as well as spread paralysis to aid its complementing set up sweepers whom also utilize Substitute. Relaxed nature in addition to 0 ivs in speed gives Rotom-Wash a slow Volt Switch out to safely bring in setup sweepers.
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Seismitoad is the most reliable offensive Stealth rocker on Water teams. Knock Off can punish Defoggers such as Skarmory and Zapdos and pressures Psychic teams therefore Latios is unable to Defog on you. Ice Punch is an option that allows you to always keep Stealth Rock up vs Zapdos and Endeavor allows both Skarmory and Zapdos to remain low if they choose to Defog freeing up Mega Gyarados and Cloyster to win the game. Endeavor also can be clutch in keeping a potential check to Seismitoads teammates low. Earthquake allows you to keep up Stealth Rock vs Tentacruel, Empoleon. Max Attack allows Seismitoad to not be treated as a passive mon and max speed allows Seismitoad to outspeed Kingdra in the rain if needed.
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 236 HP / 160 SpA / 112 Spe
Modest Nature
Manaphy with dual screens support is very hard to threaten due to its already insane bulk and is utilized as a breaker being able to setup multiple Tail Glow's and taking very little in return. Substitute allows Manaphy to prevent itself from taking status such as Toxic or Thunder Wave, in addition to being able to Sub down into Salac Berry range and potentially sweep teams with just one Tail Glow boost. Energy Ball allows Manaphy to sweep in the mirror matchup vs other Water teams and Surf is the obvious Water STAB option here.The Speed on Manaphy allows it to outpace base 70s.
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Mega Gyarados is very potent under screens, much like Manaphy its incredible natural bulk paired with screens support backed by Intimidate allows it to setup Multiple Dragon Dances and sweep teams. Substitute is a fantastic option that prevents Gyarados from getting status'ed, in addition to the fact that it does not break at times with screens support + Intimidate. Psychic teams fear Mega Gyarados and it is able to sub and have it not break vs both Slowbro and Celebi and have them eat their Colbur Berry before Substituting again, setting up multiple Dragon Dance's and winning the game. Earthquake allows Mega Gyarados to hit Rotom-W, in addition to Terrakion, Hydreigon, and Empoleon. However, that last slot can be swapped to Taunt which can stop phazing moves from both Hippowdon, Empoleon, and Skarmory.
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Cloyster is another setup sweeper which takes advantage of dual screen support, being your main win-con vs Flying and Dragon teams. Standard Shell Smash set can wreak havoc vs the metagame in conjunction with Kings Rock allowing it to flinch down checks such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Jirachi, and Suicune. Ice Shard allows you to out-prioritize Breloom's Mach Punch and Bisharp's Sucker Punch, in addition to being able to OHKO Choice Scarf Latios on Dragon teams. A Jolly Nature is needed in order to outpace Choice Scarf users such as Victini, Jirachi, and Terrakion.
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Lastly, With dual screens support and Calm Mind boosts Substitute + Calm Mind Keldeo is able to setup multiple boosts vs teams. Keldeo is the team's way of reliably beating Steel, Dark, and Normal teams with Secret Sword. Options I've explored over Substitute is Hidden Power Bug to OHKO Celebi at +1 or Icy Wind with Wacan Berry for Thundurus-I. Taunt could always be an alternative over Substitute to deny hazards from Tentacruel and such but I've always found Substitute having more mileage in conjunction with dual screens + Calm Mind.
Threatlist:
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Thundurus incarnate form naturally outspeed the entire team and if it is able to setup a Nasty Plot and remain outside of Ice Shard range it just cleans up the team. The Therian form is also a massive threat if it is running Choice Scarf or an Agility boosting set.
Kyurem Black is a huge threat with its ability to threaten the team and cant be OHKOed by any one move unless boosted.
Deoxys Speed sporting a combination of Thunderbolt and Energy Ball boosted by Nasty Plot is extremely hard for the team to deal with as Mega Gyarados needs two Dragon Dance's to outspeed it.
Offensive Celebi is a huge threat to the team being able to outpace all the members except Keldeo but it is able to easily 1v1 it.
Choice Specs Latios is able to outpace every single member of the team and threaten it with Draco Meteor or potentially Energy Ball in niche occasions if Light Screen isn't up.
Your gameplan vs this Pokemon is to paralyze it with Rotom and hope your Cloyster flinches it down with Kings Rock para-flinch action.
This team found quite a good amount of success in Monotype Tournaments in the last few months, they are listed down below.
Overall this team has a pretty good matchup vs the entire metagame as a whole, and when played smart even bad matchups on paper such as Electric and Fighting can be won with a boosted Salac Manaphy, Keldeo, and Mega Gyarados. I'm glad this team was liked (and loathed by a few) and had an overall cool impact on the ORAS Monotype metagame which is otherwise stale in my eyes in its current state.
Importable
(Click on the sprites)
Monotype World Cup: Attribute vs Cell https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen6monotype-1317951562
Monotype Premier League: Maroon vs Feen https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen6monotype-1374521210
Monotype Premier League: Maroon vs jonfilch https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-570285
Monotype Premier League: Lax vs Catalystic https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen6monotype-1388209563 (Swampert version)
Monotype Premier League: S1nnoh Confirm3d vs Lax https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-572867
French MPL: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen6monotype-1394196624-euj332s4chxg7ycgeg2ffy29jdpy3jfpw
Monotype Premier League: Maroon vs Feen https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen6monotype-1374521210
Monotype Premier League: Maroon vs jonfilch https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-570285
Monotype Premier League: Lax vs Catalystic https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen6monotype-1388209563 (Swampert version)
Monotype Premier League: S1nnoh Confirm3d vs Lax https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-572867
French MPL: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen6monotype-1394196624-euj332s4chxg7ycgeg2ffy29jdpy3jfpw
Overall this team has a pretty good matchup vs the entire metagame as a whole, and when played smart even bad matchups on paper such as Electric and Fighting can be won with a boosted Salac Manaphy, Keldeo, and Mega Gyarados. I'm glad this team was liked (and loathed by a few) and had an overall cool impact on the ORAS Monotype metagame which is otherwise stale in my eyes in its current state.
Importable
(Click on the sprites)
S/O to the gang that still plays and builds ORAS Monotype lol Cell Izaya Attribute Isza maroon I hope we are able to make the changes to this tier to make it great again.
S/O Swerk yall know who yall are I don't gotta tag.
S/O to the Monotype community yall are the most real community on here still and if this wasn't true I would have definitely moved on a long time ago.
S/O Swerk yall know who yall are I don't gotta tag.
S/O to the Monotype community yall are the most real community on here still and if this wasn't true I would have definitely moved on a long time ago.