Help with Alakazam team

[AdrianMadr]

Hi there everyone, I have a request to make, I would like to hear your opinions on my pvp team. This team was built around Alakazam, and I would like for you to tell me how to improve or change my team in order to use Alakazam, and yes I want to use this team in OU tournaments.

 

If you have any ideas about how to change/improve my team, please help a brother. 

 

Alakazam @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner focus
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Signal Beam
- HP fire

 

Haxorus @ Life Orb
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Outrage
- Superpower
- Earthquake

 

Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Gyro Ball

 

 

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 224 HP / 252 Def / 32 SpD
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird

 

Kingdra @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Surf
- Hydro Pump
- Dragon Pulse
- Ice Beam

 

And the last guy I dont know what to chose from : 

 

Probopass @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 56 SpA / 200 SpD
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Power Gem
- Toxic
- Volt Switch

 

Or

 

Magnezone @ Leftovers
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Tri-Attack
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt

[razimove]

To start, main reason to run Magnezone is either HP fire or ice, to either trap steel, or be a somewhat surprise element in the dragon meta, I'd consider something else for magnezone spot.

Also, you're running to much steel, Hydreigon melts your team, like quite literally, only thing you can possibly do about hydreigon is revenge kill with zam, and this is, if hydreigon isn't scarfed.


Volcarona also destroys this team. 

I'd honestly consider not only changing few movesets, but also changing most of the core. Alakazam is fine, just the rest is a bit meh, also Dclaw > Outrage for Haxorus. And kingdra kind of needs HP electric to not be fully walled by jellicent, not that is going to kill either way, but might helps with it? Also helps with the likes of gyarados which is probably the main argument towards it

 

Edited January 10, 2018 by redspawn

[AdrianMadr]

28 minutes ago, redspawn said:

To start, main reason to run Magnezone is either HP fire or ice, to either trap steel, or be a somewhat surprise element in the dragon meta, I'd consider something else for magnezone spot.

Also, you're running to much steel, Hydreigon melts your team, like quite literally, only thing you can possibly do about hydreigon is revenge kill with zam, and this is, if hydreigon isn't scarfed.


Volcarona also destroys this team. 

I'd honestly consider not only changing few movesets, but also changing most of the core. Alakazam is fine, just the rest is a bit meh, also Dclaw > Outrage for Haxorus. And kingdra kind of needs HP electric to not be fully walled by jellicent.

 

And by changing most of the core you mean which one ? I am probably the most pooped guy, since I want at any costs to run a team with Alakazam, but if you could give me a hint on what cores to get or change/keep in my team would be a huge help .

Edited January 10, 2018 by AdrianMadr

[Maelstrom]

Nah, wanting to keep alakazam is okay, I am the guy who keeps a canerupt on almost all my teams and somehow I get it to good use.

[DeadGorilla]

3 hours ago, AdrianMadr said:

And by changing most of the core you mean which one ? I am probably the most pooped guy, since I want at any costs to run a team with Alakazam, but if you could give me a hint on what cores to get or change/keep in my team would be a huge help .

 zam is really hard to build around without magic guard imo.  skarm/forre as a defensive core is pretty dong, even more so with potential probo.  i can see wanting spin over defog if you can reliably set hazards, but lefties skarm and forre are just mag bait. skarmbliss is meme af but i mean it works. spikes/roost/defog/brave bird skarm with shed shell, and rocks/wish/twave/ice beam on blissey.

 

mag is ran mostly as a trapper, which is how you should use it here, because ferro/forre/ opposing skarm would give you a pretty hard time. i would personally run scarf on this team because of how important it is to dispose of scizor to allow zam to shine. granted you lose the ohko on ferro and its a roll on spdef forre (guaranteed at 2 spikes, or 1 spike + rocks), id say its worth.

 

id replace hax with scarf mence. takes care of ttar, every other dragon, another answer to steel types, and a shaky volc check. just need to pivot into it. intim is always nice as well.

 

lastly id replace kingdra with gyara. another ground immunity, another intim, and unfortunately another rocks weakness. 

 

 

https://pastebin.com/epFJ0H76

 

its not the standard MMO fatness, but its a quick build, and meh, thats waht RMTs are for.

 

also took the speed off skarm since no taunt.

 

 

[AdrianMadr]

6 hours ago, DeadGorilla said:

 zam is really hard to build around without magic guard imo.  skarm/forre as a defensive core is pretty dong, even more so with potential probo.  i can see wanting spin over defog if you can reliably set hazards, but lefties skarm and forre are just mag bait. skarmbliss is meme af but i mean it works. spikes/roost/defog/brave bird skarm with shed shell, and rocks/wish/twave/ice beam on blissey.

 

mag is ran mostly as a trapper, which is how you should use it here, because ferro/forre/ opposing skarm would give you a pretty hard time. i would personally run scarf on this team because of how important it is to dispose of scizor to allow zam to shine. granted you lose the ohko on ferro and its a roll on spdef forre (guaranteed at 2 spikes, or 1 spike + rocks), id say its worth.

 

id replace hax with scarf mence. takes care of ttar, every other dragon, another answer to steel types, and a shaky volc check. just need to pivot into it. intim is always nice as well.

 

lastly id replace kingdra with gyara. another ground immunity, another intim, and unfortunately another rocks weakness. 

 

 

https://pastebin.com/epFJ0H76

 

its not the standard MMO fatness, but its a quick build, and meh, thats waht RMTs are for.

 

also took the speed off skarm since no taunt.

 

 

Thank you very much for your answer, but I have to ask something, isn't there something else I can replace magnezone with ? Because I dont think I can get hp fire on mine. 

 

[DoubleJ]

11 hours ago, redspawn said:

 And kingdra kind of needs HP electric to not be fully walled by jellicent, not that is going to kill either way, but might helps with it? Also helps with the likes of gyarados which is probably the main argument towards it

Dragon Pulse is actually stronger: 85 BP x 1.5 = 127.5 Damage; 60 x 2.0 = 120 Base Damage.

 

252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Dragon Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Jellicent: 79-95 (38.1 - 45.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Hidden Power Electric vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Jellicent: 75-91 (36.2 - 43.9%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

[razimove]

7 hours ago, DoubleJ said:

Dragon Pulse is actually stronger: 85 BP x 1.5 = 127.5 Damage; 60 x 2.0 = 120 Base Damage.

 

252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Dragon Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Jellicent: 79-95 (38.1 - 45.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Hidden Power Electric vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Jellicent: 75-91 (36.2 - 43.9%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

I know, I did that calc later, completely forgot, therefor my edit forgot Dragon Pulse as I didn't update my kingdra yet. Like I said main niche of HP electric would probably be for gyarados.

Edited January 11, 2018 by redspawn
typos

[Maelstrom]

Any reason to run kingdra on a non rain dance team over anything else?

[AdrianMadr]

54 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

Any reason to run kingdra on a non rain dance team over anything else?

I was thinking to make a rain team later, and since my team is weak to fire I tought that kindgra will be a good addition to the team, since it has 1/4 fire resistance and its pretty bulky.

[DeadGorilla]

13 hours ago, AdrianMadr said:

Thank you very much for your answer, but I have to ask something, isn't there something else I can replace magnezone with ? Because I dont think I can get hp fire on mine. 

 

mag is really the only thing that does what it does.  you could forgo it and just rely on hp fire from zam(or blast on mence if you take my recommendations), which does ~70 to ferro, and IIRC is like a 20% roll on spdef forre. no idea what the calc on skarm is tho.  the thing about relying on  zam is that youre weakening it a lot. tho everything faster than it forces it out anyway, and you dont really need health on zam.

 

could replace with duggy to trap the ttar thats inevitably going to come in on the zam tho. 

[AdrianMadr]

20 hours ago, DeadGorilla said:

mag is really the only thing that does what it does.  you could forgo it and just rely on hp fire from zam(or blast on mence if you take my recommendations), which does ~70 to ferro, and IIRC is like a 20% roll on spdef forre. no idea what the calc on skarm is tho.  the thing about relying on  zam is that youre weakening it a lot. tho everything faster than it forces it out anyway, and you dont really need health on zam.

 

could replace with duggy to trap the ttar thats inevitably going to come in on the zam tho. 

I managed somehow to get a hp fire magnezone, unfornately no good nature, since I have a policy of only using my pokemons, and not of other ppl, but I got him, not full 31/x/31/30/31/30 - but 25 + on all. I think that should do the trick, and I only need to get a blissey and salamance and I will try your advice. I would like to thank you again for your insight.

 

[AdrianMadr]

If someone has any other opinions ? About the team that DeadGorilla gave me, any other opinions. And thank you all for your insight, and opinions about the team, especially to DeadGorilla. Hope to see you in the game, and have a duel against you.

Edited January 19, 2018 by AdrianMadr