Hiya! Firstly, this is a joint RMT written by Earthworm and jumpluff about an offensive team. This team is what pulled me back into competitive Pokémon. Previously, I had stopped playing due to frustration with luck. This team reminded me why battling is fun, and even though I still only casually battle, this is a very special team~ The team most recently shone in its new and polished form in the World Cup IV, where EW used it to success against DawnBringer in the finals. With the advent of HG/SS, we decided to retire it on the wake of this victory. (I still play with it casually.) Please stick with this!
Introducing Team Sugarless GiRL!
For those wondering about the name, Sugarless GiRL is an album by a Japanese electro band, capsule. We decided to retain the capitalisation of the titles for accuracy. Also note that Heatran's nickname is too long for the server, so if we nicknamed him for ladder use, his name would be Melting point.
Heatran (M) @ Shuca Berry * Welcome to my world
Flash Fire
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Will-o-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Hidden Power Grass
This Heatran takes EQ from nearly all leads (barring some like Mamoswine), distributes burns, sets up Stealth Rock, and usually nets a kill on Swampert among others (Hidden Power Grass does not KO, but Will-o-Wisp + HP Grass does). We usually lead off with Will-o-Wisp or Stealth Rock, depending on the lead, then attack as necessary. No Earth Power means we're walled by lead Heatran, but otherwise this lead works very successfully. In August, Will-o-Wisp was seen on less than 6% of Heatran, but it works great, often crippling Salamence, Gyarados, Tyranitar, or other Pokémon which like to place immediate pressure on their opponents by setting up on their enemy leads.
Shuca Berry lets it get more than one turn against nearly all leads (except for Mamoswine and so forth), and for the ensuing Earthquake, this team has three Ground immunities and Lucario for revenging something like a severely weakened Aerodactyl.
Heatran can also be used to absorb sleep from Smeargle, Roserade, or any other sleeper such as Breloom which comes in mid-game, if it's still alive.
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb * Catch my breath
Inner Focus
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly (+Spe -SpA)
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Extremespeed
Standard Lucario, except Jolly. Most people don't like Jolly Lucario because it misses a few KOs, but this is made up amply by the fact that it beats Mamoswine, non-Scarf Rotom-A (one of the main reasons to include Crunch), Suicune, other Lucario, and anything designed to sit at 280 Speed to beat Adamant Lucario. This has swept many teams, and really, the extra Speed pays off enough to make it well worth it.
Setting up a game plan for Lucario is always useful. For instance, sometimes it is worth, given adequate knowledge of the opponent's team, letting Latias take a Draco Meteor, in order to give Lucario a free turn. Pokémon like Latias and Rotom are often Pursuited or taken out with Crunch, and with its 4x resistance to Dark-type moves, Lucario becomes an immediate threat to the opponent.
Latias (F) @ Life Orb * Sugarless GiRL
Levitate
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power Fire
- Grass Knot
- Recover
There are only two problems with this Latias: the Speed point lost by carrying Hidden Power Fire, and the fact I'm walled by Heatran, which is taken care of by the rest of the team. This Latias has been so effective for us though that those are easily outweighed by the positives. Grass Knot is for Tyranitar and Swampert, which can get in the way of her teammates, and Hidden Power Fire is for Steel-types, especially Scizor. Life Orb allows her to change attacks while still doing a lot of damage, and Recover shakes off the Life Orb damage (and any other incurred).
It's surprising how many kills Latias actually gets. Provided it sits at reasonable health, it will survive a Bullet Punch if the opponent even selects that move, and score a KO on Scizor. Nothing really likes switching in on Dragon Pulse except Steel-types, which are almost all maimed by Hidden Power Fire.
Grass Knot does more than Surf against Tyranitar, as well, by 25 base power, a significant increase.
252/0 Tyranitar
318 Atk vs 354 Def & 404 HP (120 Base Power): 202 - 238 (50.00% - 58.91%)
318 Atk vs 354 Def & 404 HP (90 Base Power): 112 - 133 (27.72% - 32.92%)
The combination of Dragon Pulse + SR + Grass Knot does 90% minimum to this Tyranitar. (It actually does 96% on average.)
0/0 Tyranitar
318 Atk vs 354 Def & 341 HP (120 Base Power): 202 - 238 (59.24% - 69.79%)
318 Atk vs 354 Def & 341 HP (90 Base Power): 112 - 133 (32.84% - 39.00%)
Even with no Stealth Rock, this Tyranitar is OHKO'd. In August, 72% of Tyranitar were running spreads close to 252/0 and 0/0.
Lucario and Latias have strong offensive synergy. She and Lucario cover each other's weaknesses both offensively (Blissey, Tyranitar...) and defensively, and so, with some prediction, the two have pulled off some very tight matches on their own.
As the metagame has developed, Latias has found ways around two of her main problems, Scizor and Tyranitar—not without new ones arising, however—and proven to be a stellar Pokémon. I personally enjoy Latias's influence on OU and hope that everyone else agrees with me. Latias for OU!
Jirachi @ Leftovers * Starry Sky
Serene Grace
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold (+Def -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Wish
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
This Jirachi is, well, the star of the team! At first, I used to play very conservatively with Jirachi, but I realised introducing it in the mid-game can actually be useful. Most people expect physical Jirachi as well! Wish support is not only incredible for Jirachi itself but for its fellow teammates. Psychic and Thunderbolt is an old standard with great neutral coverage. Jirachi is designed to tank hits while statting up and Wishing as required. It can also take status decently, although Gliscor is on the team to ease this pressure. It can also switch in on strong physical attacks that the rest of the team does not like switching in on over and over.
Calm Mind Jirachi dismantles stall and hurts offense pretty badly, too. Its main problems are Trick, being caught by Salamence or others while on low health (which can be dealt with by team support, obviously), Magnezone and Heatran when it doesn't have enough CMs (although it can usually CM up on Magnezone if its HP is high), and Calm Mind Latias. Yes, the lack of Flash Cannon leaves it fairly helpless against Tyranitar, but this team does not struggle with Tyranitar, and if Jirachi has to go down, it can at least do some damage, net a paralysis, or pull off a Wish for its teammates. I like being able to hit Rotom and sort-of Magnezone much more. It also hits Gengar harder, as well as Breloom, Machamp, Infernape, Lucario, and Swampert (although Grass Knot covers that usually). Latias usually weakens Tyranitar a fair bit, so Flash Cannon isn't necessary, and Earthquake is currently surprisingly uncommon.
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers * Spider
Sand Veil
252 HP / 36 Def / 220 Spe
Jolly (+Spe -SpA)
- Taunt
- Toxic
- Roost
- Earthquake
Gliscor absorbs Thunder Wave, a move this team previously had trouble with (so Jirachi was usually delegated to take the paralysis). This set beats stall pretty handily, checks most Lucario, and can stall problem Pokémon out itself efficiently, with Toxic, Taunt to block recovery or set-up, and Roost to shrug off damage taken while stalling. Also of note, it can switch on certain Pokémon like Life Orb HP Grass Jolteon and Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Earthquake them. These Pokémon were very bothersome for the previous iteration of this team, and Gliscor makes for a good check.
Rotom-w @ Choice Scarf * Secret Paradise
Levitate
252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Trick
Rotom-w used to be Rotom-c, but the Special Attack drops from Leaf Storm were mostly problematic. Hydro Pump still hits Tyranitar and other Rock and Grounds, while also covering Heatran (important, due to being locked in). Trick lets it cripple Blissey or anything else causing problems for the team. Rotom-c was also previously Modest and 252 SpA, but it was too frail, so bulkier EVs help it switch on its resistances while still maintaining decent power. Also, the very useful Ghost typing can also take the Explosions that Latias seems to bait.
Rotom-w also lures out Choiced Dark attacks from the likes of Scizor and Tyranitar, so if caught in a compromised situation, Lucario can take advantage of the circumstances!
Introducing Team Sugarless GiRL!
For those wondering about the name, Sugarless GiRL is an album by a Japanese electro band, capsule. We decided to retain the capitalisation of the titles for accuracy. Also note that Heatran's nickname is too long for the server, so if we nicknamed him for ladder use, his name would be Melting point.
The Team
Heatran (M) @ Shuca Berry * Welcome to my world
Flash Fire
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Will-o-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Hidden Power Grass
This Heatran takes EQ from nearly all leads (barring some like Mamoswine), distributes burns, sets up Stealth Rock, and usually nets a kill on Swampert among others (Hidden Power Grass does not KO, but Will-o-Wisp + HP Grass does). We usually lead off with Will-o-Wisp or Stealth Rock, depending on the lead, then attack as necessary. No Earth Power means we're walled by lead Heatran, but otherwise this lead works very successfully. In August, Will-o-Wisp was seen on less than 6% of Heatran, but it works great, often crippling Salamence, Gyarados, Tyranitar, or other Pokémon which like to place immediate pressure on their opponents by setting up on their enemy leads.
Shuca Berry lets it get more than one turn against nearly all leads (except for Mamoswine and so forth), and for the ensuing Earthquake, this team has three Ground immunities and Lucario for revenging something like a severely weakened Aerodactyl.
Heatran can also be used to absorb sleep from Smeargle, Roserade, or any other sleeper such as Breloom which comes in mid-game, if it's still alive.
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb * Catch my breath
Inner Focus
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly (+Spe -SpA)
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Extremespeed
Standard Lucario, except Jolly. Most people don't like Jolly Lucario because it misses a few KOs, but this is made up amply by the fact that it beats Mamoswine, non-Scarf Rotom-A (one of the main reasons to include Crunch), Suicune, other Lucario, and anything designed to sit at 280 Speed to beat Adamant Lucario. This has swept many teams, and really, the extra Speed pays off enough to make it well worth it.
Setting up a game plan for Lucario is always useful. For instance, sometimes it is worth, given adequate knowledge of the opponent's team, letting Latias take a Draco Meteor, in order to give Lucario a free turn. Pokémon like Latias and Rotom are often Pursuited or taken out with Crunch, and with its 4x resistance to Dark-type moves, Lucario becomes an immediate threat to the opponent.
Latias (F) @ Life Orb * Sugarless GiRL
Levitate
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power Fire
- Grass Knot
- Recover
There are only two problems with this Latias: the Speed point lost by carrying Hidden Power Fire, and the fact I'm walled by Heatran, which is taken care of by the rest of the team. This Latias has been so effective for us though that those are easily outweighed by the positives. Grass Knot is for Tyranitar and Swampert, which can get in the way of her teammates, and Hidden Power Fire is for Steel-types, especially Scizor. Life Orb allows her to change attacks while still doing a lot of damage, and Recover shakes off the Life Orb damage (and any other incurred).
It's surprising how many kills Latias actually gets. Provided it sits at reasonable health, it will survive a Bullet Punch if the opponent even selects that move, and score a KO on Scizor. Nothing really likes switching in on Dragon Pulse except Steel-types, which are almost all maimed by Hidden Power Fire.
Grass Knot does more than Surf against Tyranitar, as well, by 25 base power, a significant increase.
252/0 Tyranitar
318 Atk vs 354 Def & 404 HP (120 Base Power): 202 - 238 (50.00% - 58.91%)
318 Atk vs 354 Def & 404 HP (90 Base Power): 112 - 133 (27.72% - 32.92%)
The combination of Dragon Pulse + SR + Grass Knot does 90% minimum to this Tyranitar. (It actually does 96% on average.)
0/0 Tyranitar
318 Atk vs 354 Def & 341 HP (120 Base Power): 202 - 238 (59.24% - 69.79%)
318 Atk vs 354 Def & 341 HP (90 Base Power): 112 - 133 (32.84% - 39.00%)
Even with no Stealth Rock, this Tyranitar is OHKO'd. In August, 72% of Tyranitar were running spreads close to 252/0 and 0/0.
Lucario and Latias have strong offensive synergy. She and Lucario cover each other's weaknesses both offensively (Blissey, Tyranitar...) and defensively, and so, with some prediction, the two have pulled off some very tight matches on their own.
As the metagame has developed, Latias has found ways around two of her main problems, Scizor and Tyranitar—not without new ones arising, however—and proven to be a stellar Pokémon. I personally enjoy Latias's influence on OU and hope that everyone else agrees with me. Latias for OU!
Jirachi @ Leftovers * Starry Sky
Serene Grace
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold (+Def -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Wish
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
This Jirachi is, well, the star of the team! At first, I used to play very conservatively with Jirachi, but I realised introducing it in the mid-game can actually be useful. Most people expect physical Jirachi as well! Wish support is not only incredible for Jirachi itself but for its fellow teammates. Psychic and Thunderbolt is an old standard with great neutral coverage. Jirachi is designed to tank hits while statting up and Wishing as required. It can also take status decently, although Gliscor is on the team to ease this pressure. It can also switch in on strong physical attacks that the rest of the team does not like switching in on over and over.
Calm Mind Jirachi dismantles stall and hurts offense pretty badly, too. Its main problems are Trick, being caught by Salamence or others while on low health (which can be dealt with by team support, obviously), Magnezone and Heatran when it doesn't have enough CMs (although it can usually CM up on Magnezone if its HP is high), and Calm Mind Latias. Yes, the lack of Flash Cannon leaves it fairly helpless against Tyranitar, but this team does not struggle with Tyranitar, and if Jirachi has to go down, it can at least do some damage, net a paralysis, or pull off a Wish for its teammates. I like being able to hit Rotom and sort-of Magnezone much more. It also hits Gengar harder, as well as Breloom, Machamp, Infernape, Lucario, and Swampert (although Grass Knot covers that usually). Latias usually weakens Tyranitar a fair bit, so Flash Cannon isn't necessary, and Earthquake is currently surprisingly uncommon.
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers * Spider
Sand Veil
252 HP / 36 Def / 220 Spe
Jolly (+Spe -SpA)
- Taunt
- Toxic
- Roost
- Earthquake
Gliscor absorbs Thunder Wave, a move this team previously had trouble with (so Jirachi was usually delegated to take the paralysis). This set beats stall pretty handily, checks most Lucario, and can stall problem Pokémon out itself efficiently, with Toxic, Taunt to block recovery or set-up, and Roost to shrug off damage taken while stalling. Also of note, it can switch on certain Pokémon like Life Orb HP Grass Jolteon and Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Earthquake them. These Pokémon were very bothersome for the previous iteration of this team, and Gliscor makes for a good check.
Rotom-w @ Choice Scarf * Secret Paradise
Levitate
252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid (+Spe -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Trick
Rotom-w used to be Rotom-c, but the Special Attack drops from Leaf Storm were mostly problematic. Hydro Pump still hits Tyranitar and other Rock and Grounds, while also covering Heatran (important, due to being locked in). Trick lets it cripple Blissey or anything else causing problems for the team. Rotom-c was also previously Modest and 252 SpA, but it was too frail, so bulkier EVs help it switch on its resistances while still maintaining decent power. Also, the very useful Ghost typing can also take the Explosions that Latias seems to bait.
Rotom-w also lures out Choiced Dark attacks from the likes of Scizor and Tyranitar, so if caught in a compromised situation, Lucario can take advantage of the circumstances!
Conclusion
Team Sugarless GiRL has been really, really fun to play with! There are also a bunch of interesting somewhat serendipitous things about the team, like its immunity to Toxic Spikes. All teams have their problems, and this team is no exception to this rule, but the changes made (Gliscor > bulky DD Roost Salamence and Rotom-w > Rotom-c) have helped it deal with things it previously had to play around precariously. When played properly, it matches up well against stall, and takes on opposing offense and balance teams. Next comes a threat list and a summary of the ways we deal with certain Pokémon, with note of the ones we have to be careful with.
Thank you very much for reading this RMT!
Team Sugarless GiRL has been really, really fun to play with! There are also a bunch of interesting somewhat serendipitous things about the team, like its immunity to Toxic Spikes. All teams have their problems, and this team is no exception to this rule, but the changes made (Gliscor > bulky DD Roost Salamence and Rotom-w > Rotom-c) have helped it deal with things it previously had to play around precariously. When played properly, it matches up well against stall, and takes on opposing offense and balance teams. Next comes a threat list and a summary of the ways we deal with certain Pokémon, with note of the ones we have to be careful with.
Thank you very much for reading this RMT!