Table of Contents Preface Team-Building Process Under The Microscope Pineco Shedninja Xatu Dutrio Politoed Jirachi Conclusion Importable Preface Hey everyone. For those of you who were around the same general times of my activity here, you might remember me, but honestly I wouldn't be surprised or offended if that weren't the case. For those of you who have no idea who I am, then I suppose this is as good an introduction as any. I've been moderately dead in regards to this community, or most of my old PO haunts for that matter, and I guess I should apologize to some extent for that; amidst college, work, an increased presence on Smogon (lower tiers becoming a thing, actively trying to slog the remaining revamps and such of BW2 RU through a dead-ish QC, tutoring / mentoring / QCing, etc.), and whatever semblance of a social life I have, I've been a little bit restricted in regards to additional activities, which is a little bogus, albeit necessary. I'm all too sure that some, perhaps most of you would question why I would be posting a BW2 OU team this far into the XY generation, and I couldn't fault you for it. While I do appreciate XY for what it is, and it is a fairly enjoyable metagame for what it is, I don't feel strongly enough about any given team to feel it worth posting over. That, of course, is not to say that I enjoy the BW2 OU metagame, and those familiar with my views on the matter would consider it to be the polar opposite; as somewhat of a purist when it comes to issues such as this, I retained a strong distaste for the metagame nurtured throughout that period, as I found that it diluted the impact of skill and experience in favor of team match-up, likening the game to that of rock-paper-scissors to an extent. However, despite this, I am also under the belief that any 'serious' competitive singles player, despite his or her preferred tier or metagame, should have a solid understanding of the "standard" metagame of time, and therefore I did immerse myself in the tier for what it was. However, regardless of this necessity, I had no obligation to sullenly submit to standards of the metagame, and driven by a healthy scientific curiosity, I began to tinker with various 'gimmicks'; initially this began with simple incorporations of lower tier Pokemon with somewhat-identifiable niches, such as Tauros and Mantine (who was, worth what it's worth, a uniquely effectively defensive Pokemon in the earlier stages of BW2, being highly difficult for Rain Offense to break and single-handedly checking the common Keldeo+Special Landorus-I+Pursuit user core that was utilized by so many offensive sand / weatherless builds), but by the end I had delved far into dedicated builds like Riolu SpikeStack and SwagPlay (though unlike its alternatives, mine actually had a win condition beyond "win w/hax"). The team I am showcasing today is one such build, a team that I feel best exemplifies what BW2 OU was to me: match-up reliant, excessively wary of the impact of weather, and almost entirely nonsensical at its core. However, I would not dismiss this team simply as a gimmick, since as accurate as this is, I can say with near-complete certainty that this team is the most skill-reliant team I have built throughout the entirety of the BW/BW2 generation. In order to succeed with this team, the player must not only understand the roles of his or her Pokemon and how they play against various playstyles, but also what almost anything the opponent plays can or will do, since without properly micro-managing your Pokemon or accounting for a certain threat or move, the team can very easily fold against a single Pokemon. For this reason, the team can be most closed referred to as a quick-stall build, aiming to chip away at the opponents team through a variety of means, primarily hazard- and status-based, usually to the extent that the opponent is no longer able to maintain a response for one of the team's more actively threatening members, notably Pineco, Shedninja, and Jirachi. Against certain builds, this team can more-or-less yield an auto-win with appropriate play, but others will be much more difficult to play around. Moreover, given its less dedicated investment in defensive focus in comparison to full stall, it cannot over-extend itself during play as a stall team would, again relying on the player to understand where to draw the line. I won't lay claim to any frivolous ladder peaks, as I don't really care for either the process or the use of peaks to validate a team's effectiveness, though I could say that the team has easily yielded a 80% win ratio in play, if not a smidge higher, and can match up moderately well to almost every relevant playstyle with appropriate play. I have been running this team, tinkering with its elements throughout, just a couple weeks short of the Tornadus-T ban, making this team's live application just short of 9 months old, which I would say is fairly impressive in the environment given what it is. I cannot adequately tie in the album I decided to name the team after to the concept relayed here, but it is what it is. I will say that I very much enjoy the music, as I do this team, and apparently my involvement with both of these things mark me as a hipster according to my friends, so you can take of that what you will. Under The Microscope Pineco @ Berry Juice | Sturdy***F Note Naughty | 156 Atk / 156 Spe | Lv.1 Toxic Spikes Spikes Rapid Spin Pain Split Easily the MVP of the team in almost every non-stall match-up, which in the team's heyday was a significant minority. Rain and weatherless offense teams lacking in a pertinent lead to counteract such a Pokemon are the most significant of victims, as they easily concede 2 layers at minimal risk, giving the team immediate advantage of varying steepness, depending on how many relevant Pokemon are effected. Typically, the average 'goodstuffs' weatherless offense will consist of 2-3 members affected by Toxic Spikes and 3-4 hit by Spikes, and given they typically employ a more flexible lead than Aerodactyl, Pineco can set up a favourable position rather consistently for the team. Typically, the sheer value to be had of this puts Pineco's ability to Pain Split away HP as an afterthought, though it does hold some relevance against Pokemon seeking to beat away at Pineco in the beginning stages of the game, or even mid-game under certain situations (though typically stronger players won't be allowing Pineco so much breathing room). In most scenarios, Pineco is to be led with, as the team is designed in a manner that generally does not require it to stay afloat in terms of defensive synergy. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, and although one generally gets a feel for when it is an isn't prudent to do so, there are some general examples of when should not lead off with Pineco: Tyranitar / Abomasnow : While I disagree with the practice of blindly leading with your weather inducer, it is a rather common one, and at times even a prudent choice, therefore making it something to be aware of in the lead match-up. Conceding momentum to these Pokemon isn't necessarily awful for the team, but ill-advised nonetheless, making it worthwhile to make note of when selecting a lead in relevant match-ups. Hippowdon is not nearly as dangerous, as typically Xatu matches up quite well with it at little risk overall, making it less threatening. Spinners with Entry Hazards : This applies most significantly to Forretress and Tentacruel. The position these Pokemon put on the team on an immediate level is somewhat of an issue, as they can either spin or set up entry hazards, and as the team needs to respond to them in a directly reactionary manner, it can force an uncomfortable 50-50. In this position, it would favor this team to simply forgo entry hazards (and, by extension, the use of Pineco) for the time, focusing on wearing down these spinners until a point where it becomes effective to set up hazards. Certain Dedicated Leads: Risk vs. Reward plays a significant role in this decision, as the player has to weigh the risks of a player tech'ing his or her dedicated lead in a manner that does or does not favour Pineco in proportion to the net gain of the plays made. For instance, a lead Terrakion with either Swords Dance or Quick Attack occupying its final moveslot provides an excellent opportunity to Pineco to set up hazards, but one utilizing Taunt can quickly sour the match-up, oftentimes resulting in a situation requiring the user to sac Xatu and follow-up with Jirachi, rather than preserving it for chip damage. Mamoswine is a similar case, as a chance Icicle Spear variant can quickly ruin Pineco altogether. Aerodactyl is typically a Pokemon to avoid leading against for lack of effective means of combatting it (and Aero always leads when your opponent has any team-building sense), as are Custap Skarmory (or, for a time, DeoD), and Sash Breloom. Certain leads, namely Utility 'Rachi (SR+Iron Head+2 coverage moves of choice @ Shuca / Lum / Expert Belt) and SR Garchomp are more a matter of team match-up, left to the digression of the player; Pineco compromises its Sturdy in spinning into Garchomp's Rough Skin, and Jirachi poses the risk of inducing flinches to limit hazards. Mold Breaker / Teravolt users : Kyurem-B, as well as the lesser utilized Haxorus, are capable of breaking through Pineco's Sturdy outright, although some might fail to make this connection at first, and therefore are important to make note of in Team Preview. Leading Jirachi can oftentimes deter these Pokemon enough to force them out, at which point Pineco can come in off a U-Turn and set up Toxic Spikes as to neuter these Pokemon for the remainder of the game. (Defensive) Rotom-W : Omnipresent, especially on the ladder, making it worth acknowledging as a threat. Defensive Rotom-W, particularly those running Pain Split > ChestoRest, are a significant threat to the team, and are capable of limiting Pineco to a single layer, should they connect with WoW. It is important when noting this 'mon to verify the importance of [Toxic] Spikes in the match-up, as well as the net gain of attempting to status or Trick it outright, rather than leading Pineco. The moveset is, to my understanding of it, rather self-explanatory, and if it wasn't beforehand, it should full well be by this point. The EVs shown are rather inconsequential under most circumstances, but one can never be too wary of obscurities, and the 1-point difference in Attack and Speed could full well tip a mirror match-up of sorts into the team's favour. Had it not been understood beforehand, the concept behind this set is rather simple; Berry Juice+Sturdy allows Pineco to assuredly absorb 2 [single hit] attacks from full HP, being brought back to full with Berry Juice after the initial hit and then back to 1 HP from there due to Sturdy. This allows it to set up 2 layers of entry hazards in a basic match-up, should it choose to do so, or chip away at an opponent by Pain Splitting away their HP while typically revitalizing its Sturdy for another round. While Rapid Spin is not to be relied upon for mid-game utility under most circumstances, its ability to prevent hazards in the short-term from more offensive setters allows it to more effectively assume the role of lead against offensive builds, a significant boon to the team. Shedninja @ Focus Sash / Lum Berry | Wonder Guard***To The Top Lonely | 252 Atk / 252 Spe Will-O-Wisp Baton Pass Shadow Sneak Protect / Trick / Shadow Claw Shedninja is to many the premier example of a high-risk, high-reward Pokemon; the maintenance cost to utilize such a Pokemon is incredibly high, to the point of being practically always built around in order to function, but in exchange it is capable of completely walling some of the most threatening Pokemon in the game. This point was driven home and that much more in the post-Tornadus Therian metagame, where Sun Offense had yet to truly rebuild itself, alternative stall builds were staggered in use, and Rain / Sand / Weatherless Offense composed to brunt of the metagame yet still. At such a time, having a Pokemon capable of completely walling a core of Keldeo+Scizor+CB Dragonite is nothing short of phenomenal, and Shedninja was just that Pokemon. In truth, the metagame actually began to favour Shedninja even more in time, as variations on common Pokemon that threatened Shedninja (Fire Punch CB Dragonite, Acrobatics Scizor, HP Ghost Keldeo, etc.) began to fade. However, it was at this time that Starmie usage was at an all-time high, and Shedninja took to this like none other, preying upon the new wave of Weatherless Offense builds popularized by users such as Smurf, following the basic layout of [SR Garchomp / Terrakion] / [Starmie / Keldeo] / [Volcarona / Alakazam] / Steel-type / Dragonite / Choice. As it were, due to the nature of the Pokemon, Shedninja will typically either wall a Pokemon entirely, therefore forcing them out, or fall flat, giving it a great deal of leeway to throw WoW and / or Baton Pass rather liberally, looking to catch either a defensive pivot or offensive Pokemon with which to force a 'checkmate' situation. As with teams utilizing Pokemon such as Heatran and Tyranitar, it is fairly simple to assume for their switch, often resulting in a routine and simple trap with Dugtrio (being sure to account for matters of popping Air Balloons and accruing the necessary prior damage on Tyranitar to KO w/Earthquake), though with teams lacking in such a response, Shedninja serves as a highly effectual status platform, throwing around burns and racking up significant chip damage on Pokemon. When playing Shedninja, it is important to gauge its relevance in the match-up, more-so than with most defensive Pokemon; should it be required as a means with which to handle a certain threat, it becomes paramount to preserve it for this purpose, but should this not be necessary, it becomes perfectly acceptable to throw it around liberally as a means to verify coverage moves and / or sets. This is what I would believe to be a "standard" Shedninja set; Focus Sash greatly outweighs Lum Berry in match-ups with offense, though the one-time avoidance of status can be invaluable in pushing through assorted defensive obstacles, making it a toss-up unless you know what style your opponent intends to play beforehand. Obviously, the necessity for investment in anything but Attack and Speed is non-existant, making this the only spread worth use. As I've observed, Baton Pass is entirely mandatory, both for addressing a weather-centric metagame without the constant need for blind double-switching and capitalizing on the forces the Pokemon inherently switches. Similarly, Will-O-Wisp makes Shedninja more than just a passive response to the attackers it switches into, making it a staple. Shadow Sneak, though at times replaceable, is significant for its ability to pick off Pokemon such as Gengar and Tornadus as they are, who otherwise prove just that much more problematic for the team. Was this a lesser concern, Shadow Claw or X-Scissor could see use, as there ability to better break through the Substitutes of Pokemon such as Jirachi and Dragonite make it that much better off a check to them, but oftentimes one cannot afford this luxury. Protect is oftentimes the most useful move in the final slot for its ability to scout and accrue additional chip damage via status, though the added disruption to be had of Trick has gained merit with stall re-emerging in common play, as even removing the target's Leftovers can prove significant. Xatu @ Rocky Helmet | Magic Bounce***Maritza Bold | 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe Roost Night Shade U-Turn / Psyshock Toxic / Heat Wave Xatu's inclusion on the team became almost mandatory given the Pokemon it was built around; no build could facilitate a 4-part defensive core (one member being the Rapid Spin user of choice) so self-sustaining and efficient that it could forgo hazard removal in matches so as to open up Pineco and / or Shedninja for further play, so an immediate means of preventing hazards was somewhat of a necessity. To this end, Xatu is effective enough in what it does; it's prowess allow it to 'fill out' many holes in lead match-up, aiding in the task of combatting Pokemon such as Breloom and non-SD Garchomp, in addition to effectively pestering various, more passive hazard setters, such as Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Hippowdon, among others. Lasting hazard setters (ie.ones that don't just and die outright) that may otherwise threaten Xatu, such as support Tyranitar, as far less common in higher levels of play, and if need be, these Pokemon can be handled rather effectively through aggressive play with Xatu proceeded by a Dugtrio, though this will typically result in a trade (albeit an often favourable one). Of course, being what it is, Xatu is a rather straightforward and linear Pokemon in nature, requiring fairly little explanation. As is with most Xatu, it should be played very aggressively in the face of potential hazard setters. With some, such as Ferrothorn or Hippowdon, this matter will be rather simple, though in the case of offensive builds utilizing multiple potential setters, such as Garchomp+Terrakion, it will require somewhat more caution in approach (though, in a case such as this, it is moderately safe to lead Pineco, which only backfires heavily in the case of a Taunt+SR Terrakion, which is fairly uncommon). This role will typically play into Xatu's use throughout a significant portion of games with 'balanced' or stall-oriented builds, though with offense this role's lifespan is rather short. In such a case, Xatu will become far less integral to the team's composition, and will adopt a secondary function as a pivot and status / damage platform, looking to spread around as much damage as possible, whilst chaining together plays without compromising the wellbeing other the remaining members. For instance, Xatu will often become the initial switch-in to Dragonite, avoiding significant loss on a mis-prediction (bringing Shedninja / Jirachi in on a Fire Punch / EQ, respectively) and allowing the appropriate play to be made afterwords (CB locking itself in as it were, DD being U-Turned out of, breaking Multiscale, and being RKed by Jirachi). The given EV spread allows Xatu to outpace max Speed, unboosted Tyranitar, which, although only proving significant with the rare SashTar (which, speaking from experience, is quite good and underrated) and the rarer Jolly CBtar, is threatening to the extent that it becomes worth the extra 16 EVs above those run to outpace Adamant Breloom and Timid HP Fire Magnezone down. Should Xatu opt for Heat Wave, however, it is worth considering a spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe @ Timid nature, allowing it to outpace Jolly Scizor (as such builds tend to run Acrobatics, making them a threat to Shedninja), allowing it to check it better, though the loss in otherwise a tad off-putting. As to the alternative moves mentioned here, while the primary slashes are the most wholly consistent, the added tech'ing does aide in combatting certain threats. For instance, Psyshock puts a significant strain on specific, relevant offensive threats, namely Gengar, Terrakion, and Toxicroak, all of whom switch into Xatu rather safely otherwise, in addition to pushing more sizable damage on the ever-problematic Tentacruel. Heat Wave, although seemingly counterproductive in the rain, becomes significantly useful in aiding with certain variations of SD Scizor, in addition to improving Xatu's ability to chip away at Skarmory (as catching the burn ensures Xatu's victory in their common stalemate). Politoed @ Leftovers | Drizzle***F.W.S Calm | 248 HP / 40 Def / 176 SpD / 44 Spe | 0 Atk Protect Scald Toxic Perish Song As is with such teams, Politoed is somewhat of a necessity, being a low-maintenance initiator of often-supportive, residual-free weather with which to neutralize unhealthy ones. Furthermore, serving as the commonplace bulky Water-type of the team, Politoed provides additional utility in stomaching generalized assaults in accordance to its EV distribution, given the conditions would allow it (weather war is over / comfortably contained in the team's favour), as well as offering the ever-useful Perish Song with which to close out last-'mon games. Of course, as in most cases, Politoed simply plays as any other bulky Water typically will. Although it describe Politoed, or rather bulky Water-types as a whole, as somewhat of a defensive catch-all for assorted threats, I will tend to conserve Politoed to a moderate degree in certain scenarios; the matter of weather is rather obvious here, though this will also hold relevant when noting a Pokemon that may well prove threatening in a last-'mon scenario (though with Toxic Spikes present and the team generally stressing pHazing as a means with which to address threats, this is not quite as common). When it does play, it will generally does more good to play it somewhat gingerly, micro-managing its HP, as unless it is up against a Pokemon the team absolutely needs it to handle, there will be further use for it in later stages of the game, simply due to the nature of its role. However, this should certainly not be confused with an overly liberal use of Protect to ensure this, as setting such a basic pattern serves only to be exploited by the opponent in turn. A specially defensive spread was taken up for this team over the more conventional physically defensive spread. While this is often ill-advised for a more conventional rain build, it stands to reason that the team in question much more strongly appreciates the special bulk offered, offering the ability to more effective take on hits from Pokemon such as Life Orb Gengar and Lati@s, as well as allowing it the leniency to take on defensive Rotom-W with more ease (whose Volt Switch is reduced to doing a palatable 31.3-37.5%, or 36.5-43.8% from the 'standard' Modest variant). The Speed investment serves largely to speed creep the standard CB Tyranitar, as the extra Scald can often ensure Dugtrio's ability to KO w/Earthquake (or even KO, should it have taken enough prior damage), which is that much more valuable considering SpDef Politoed doesn't take Pursuit nearly as comfortably as physically defensive variants do. Dugtrio @ Focus Sash | Arena Trap***Noda Naive | 252 Atk / 252 Spe | 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD Stealth Rock Earthquake Reversal Toxic / Stone Edge As has been prefaced briefly in the team-building section, Dugtrio became a commonly circulating lynchpin for quick-stall teams of various natures for quite some time now, gaining significant worth on such builds for isolating and offensively responding to dangerous singular threats to their less airtight defensive cores. In the case of this team, Tyranitar and, oddly enough, Heatran make up some of the more significant cases, with the former's ability to set up sand, SR, and utilize a variety of significant coverage options proves quite difficult to handle at times, and the latter's invulnerability to relevant status and ability to spread damage with Lava Plume pressure the team, even setting SR on its own merit. However, the added utility Dugtrio provides the team extends beyond just that; the ability to dispatch Tentacruel after a moderate amount of prior damage (~30% to Timid variants, 40% to Bold variants), allowing it to unconventionally "spin-block" under the right circumstances whilst eliminating a particularly threatening Pokemon. Furthermore, the interactions between Dugtrio and Perish Song from Politoed can allow the team a quick, albeit costly, means of dispatching a singular threat in a pinch. As a trapper, Dugtrio's role on the team largely expands and contracts with the match-up; needless to say, it becomes a highly necessary component in match-ups involving Tyranitar and / or specially defensive Heatran, among others, but against other offensive builds, it is restricted largely to setting up Stealth Rock and perhaps inducing a 1-for-1 trade. It is unfortunate that as a matter of necessity, the duty of Stealth Rock setter must be retained by a Pokemon such as Dugtrio, but given the support of Focus Sash and an occasionally useful Electric-type immunity, it can play in a similar manner to a lead if need be. However, it becomes crucial to bring Dugtrio in safely as a result, meaning that it should almost never be brought into a Pokemon immediately: against Tyranitar, for instance, it is often preferable to attack into it with Xatu, wearing it down with Night Shade and Rocky Helmet damage to the point where Dugtrio can come into play and effectively KO with Earthquake. Very little should come across as particularly surprising or unique about this moveset, as all but the final moveslot is very standard of Dugtrio; despite Reversal's appeared offensive redundancy alongside Earthquake, it proves invaluable in too many situations to count, being easily worth the loss in 'bulk' to be had from a defense-lowering nature and reduced defensive IVs. The HP, being not completely minimized, allows Dugtrio to survive 2 consecutive Seismic Tosses from Chansey, allowing it to eliminate any variant lacking Toxic that much more efficiently. Regarding the final moveslot, Toxic's general application against a variety of targets proves very useful in incapacitating targets otherwise immune to Toxic Spikes, such as Rotom-W and Lati@s. However, in that same vein, Stone Edge's usefulness against certain niche targets also proves useful at times, particularly in breaking Gengar's Substitutes and picking off Tornadus-I. Jirachi @ Choice Scarf | Serene Grace***Get Busy Adamant | 168 HP / 136 Atk / 8 SpD / 196 Spe U-Turn Iron Head Ice Punch / Zen Headbutt Trick / Healing Wish Being far and away the most experimental teamslot, Jirachi's role on the team is highly amorphous, altering in correspondence to the match-up at hand. First and fore-most, however, it is meant to function as an active response to assorted offensive threats that otherwise threaten the team's structural integrity; Pokemon such as Gengar, Kyurem-B, Terrakion, Tornadus, and more are pertinent examples of Pokemon Jirachi is meant to switch in on in the short term and punish them as necessary. Jirachi's ability to scout or induce flinches allows it the leniency to round out certain lead match-ups as well, aiding the team in playing around Focus Sash users such as Aerodactyl and Mamoswine. In the end-game, Jirachi can adapt to the role of a cleaner, pushing through weakened teams with the combination of prior damage, Toxic Spikes support, and Iron Head flinches (if need be). As with more defensive builds, Jirachi tends to function as more of a short-term pivot for shakier targets, such as bulky Water-types when Politoed is best left preserved, as it becomes starkly less useful beyond this role and that of a Trick / Healing Wish utility. Against basic offensive builds, being able to identify the opposing Stealth Rock setter becomes crucial in early-game play of Jirachi, as leading with it vs. a potential Sash Aerodactyl / Mamoswine / Terrakion, rather than leading with an alternative and thereafter attempting to bring Jirachi in on them, does drastically affect the tempo of the game, and can very well cost a team member in very early stages of the game. As of such, it becomes a fairly safe practice to lead Jirachi when in doubt. From there, it is generally best to U-Turn out into Xatu, thereafter immediately hard switching back to Jirachi, as it reveals that you are both (presumably) Choice Scarfed, thereby indicating the potential of an Iron Head in the following turn, and that you are aware of what exactly their lead is meant to do, allowing you to swing tempo much better. Going for the Iron Head outright and attempting to flinch, while tempting, is a generally unsafe and risky approach that leaves a solid 40% of conceding either SR or significant damage on Jirachi, which puts the team far in the hole from the get-go. Outside lead match-up, however, it typically behooves the user to preserve Jirachi's HP at least somewhat vs.offense and certain 'balance' builds, as typically it finds opportunities to clean once you properly identify and wear away at potential scarf user(s). Against stall, however, it acts mostly as a quick pivot to non-hazard setters, with its most significant function being a timely Trick to pressure their defensive core. Regarding Jirachi's moveset, most of it remains fairly standard. As a very experienced Jirachi player (despite almost never running specially defensive or SubCM variants, perhaps it's most commonly seen sets on the average laddering level), I can say with certainty that Iron Head and U-Turn are the moves being used more-so than any others by a vast margin, making them nigh irreplaceable on almost any given Scarf Jirachi. Ice Punch, while not providing coverage in the most immediately pertinent sense (as neither Fire- nor Steel-types are hit by it), it does reinforce Jirachi's cleaning capabilities, as many offensive teams will close games with stacked Ice weaknesses to exploit (ex: DragMag, weatherless offense, etc.). This also allows Jirachi to RK Pokemon such as Dragonite that much more cleanly, which has its uses. Zen Headbutt plays similarly in that it offers a more expansive ability to clean up, hitting many pertinent targets neutrally or better, as well as punishing certain threatening bulky Water-types, particularly Tentacruel and Rotom-W, two significant issues for the team. The final slot is typically reserved for utility functions, towards which Trick is oftentimes the more useful option, serving as a very useful resource in match-ups with stall, although Healing Wish, being my favourite move in the game, does offer more broad and generalized utility. The EV spread culminates from a lot of different necessities, actually. For those who have run Scarf Jirachi extensively, as I have, you would have likely noticed that max Speed Jolly variants have become obsolete; simply nothing of relevance rests in that Speed tier aside from Scarf Salamence and the offhand max Speed Timid Volcarona (which not only is infrequently overshadowed by bulkier Roost and / or Passho Berry variants, but also is nigh impossible for Jirachi to RK regardless), barring non-sets such as Scarf Kyurem-B, who will almost always run Sub / Roost + 3 Attacks sets instead. For this reason, bulkier Adamant Jirachi's have begun to draw favour on Scarf sets, as the added bulk and, at times, damage output do truly make a significant difference in how they function. This particular variant aims to outpace + Speed base 80's post-Trick and below, allowing it to RK Mamoswine and the off-chance Jolly Dragonite even after removing its Scarf, while retaining a jump point in Attack (allowing it to maintain essentially the same damage output as that of a max / max Jolly Jirachi). The additional bulk gained is quite significant, however, allowing it the bulk to even consistently survive 2 consecutive Life Orb-boosted Shadow Balls from Gengar after Stealth Rock damage, as well as reinforcing it significantly against various other threatening attacks (Lati@s DM's, Tornadus Hurricanes / Focus Blasts, Tyranitar Crunches, etc.). Conclusion That being said, despite all my ranting and raving about how atrocious the BW2 OU metagame was / is, I really developed an understanding and subtle appreciation for what it was, and with XY OU shaping up to be a lot of the same, it becomes more evident that we are steering away from an enjoyable, diverse "standard" metagame that I would like to see. Notwithstanding, there are almost always means of bringing some level of 'innovation' to a stale concept, as I'd like to think has been showcased here, and for that reason, I can look forward to what's to come. I hope you enjoyed reading this for what it was, and I appreciate your time, as always. Importable Spoiler to the top (Shedinja) @ Focus Sash Ability: Wonder Guard EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk Lonely Nature - Baton Pass - Will-O-Wisp - Shadow Sneak - Protect f.w.s (Politoed) @ Leftovers Ability: Drizzle EVs: 248 HP / 44 Spd / 40 Def / 176 SDef Calm Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Protect - Scald - Toxic - Perish Song maritza (Xatu) @ Rocky Helmet Ability: Magic Bounce EVs: 252 HP / 72 Spd / 184 Def Bold Nature - Roost - Toxic - Night Shade - U-turn f note (Pineco) @ Berry Juice Ability: Sturdy Level: 1 EVs: 156 Spd / 156 Atk Naughty Nature - Spikes - Toxic Spikes - Rapid Spin - Pain Split noda (Dugtrio) @ Focus Sash Ability: Arena Trap EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk Naive Nature IVs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SDef - Stealth Rock - Reversal - Earthquake - Toxic get busy (Jirachi) @ Choice Scarf Ability: Serene Grace EVs: 168 HP / 128 Spd / 188 Atk / 24 SDef Jolly Nature - U-turn - Iron Head - Ice Punch - Trick Team-Building Process Pineco Pineco, specifically a Level 1 variant, was the foundation I built this team upon; being infrequently exposed to users that built gimmick teams utilizing it in lower tiers, I at one point or another began to consider its implications in higher tiers. While the presence of more threatening passive effects, such as hail and sand, did significantly hinder its performance in the tier, there was potential to be had of it. In the earlier stages of the game, it can perform rather well as a lead if need be, setting a minimum of two layers against a reasonable expansion of Pokemon commonly seen leading in the tier, while preventing hazards from the opposing end decently enough. Toxic Spikes, as one might find, are very threatening to many builds in the late BW2 metagame, with the majority of offensive builds lacking the two commonly observed Poison-types of the tier (Amoonguss and Tentacruel), and provides incredible return value against such teams in proportion to the effort needed to set a single layer. However, being that these hazards are largely match-up reliant, I couldn't simply make due with a Pokemon largely centralized towards this goal, and Pineco offered secondary utility to accommodate; the ability to initiate Pain Split cycles against opposing Pokemon, particularly when supported by prior burns and poison status, can very effectively chip away at quite a few opposing teams, allowing Pineco to serve a purpose beyond just offering Toxic Spikes (helping to distinguish itself from the similar, yet more self-sustaining, Custap Berry Forretress). Pineco , Politoed In a weather-centric metagame such as this, 99% of non-offensive builds need to set aside resources for weather of their own or face competitive inadequacy, that's all their is to it; there are far too many potent, weather-based threats for a player to consistently play defensively without their own weather to "stabilize" their defenses, and although I won't claim it to be entirely impossible to build defensively without the use of weather, it is highly difficult to do so thoroughly. This holds especially true for a team utilizing a Pokemon who's role is optimized, if not solely possible, when at full health, requiring the absence of residuals from sand and hail. Politoed was a fairly natural selection for achieving this; rain is a wholly "low-maintenance" weather condition for its limited risks in proportion to net gains, as well as the lack of support required to retain in, contrasting the very high-maintenance sun build (ie.Ninetales). Having to divert so many more resources towards removing hazards would require either significant overlap in team-building, perhaps incorporating a secondary spinnner, or the selection of an alternative to Pineco so as to minimize the strain of the team's hazard prevention utilities, making it somewhat of a non-option. The added defensive boons offered by Politoed on its own merit, who is capable of acting as a fairly adequate bulky Water-type and Perish Song user (a valuable tool for many stall or stall-esque builds), reinforced my selection that much more. Pineco , Politoed, Shedninja As it became clear the team was to take a defensive stance in team-building, it was important to gauge the options available. At the time, offense was far and away the most commonplace playstyle adopted, typically being either weatherless, rain, or sand based, with the occasional balanced teams thrown into the brew. This metagame presented Shedninja a unique opportunity as a spin-blocker, being capable of not only effectively spin-blocking Starmie, far and away the most popular spinner of the time, but completely shutting down many common offensive Pokemon, even neutering and shutting down momentum for assorted VoltTurn chains that plagued the ladder. It was at this point that the team began to develop its roots of "counter-styling" in accordance to the metagame at hand, as its favorable match-up with such offensive builds became more and more evident. Pineco , Politoed, Shedninja, Xatu In incorporating yet another highly volatile and hazard-weak Pokemon to the team's basic core, it became that much more necessary to provide additional means of hazard prevention beyond the 'soft-check' that was Pineco. Xatu's ability to directly respond to hazards via Magic Bounce was ideal for this exact reason, as it allowed the team to more immediately prevent them from leaving an impact, increasing Pineco and Shedninja's flexibility. Xatu also helps in harassing common irritants to more typical rain stall builds, such as Ferrothorn, as well as reinforcing the team's 'lead match-up' against offensive builds, which grew more and more relevant as time progressed. As would become evident later, its ability to restrict the impact of sleep inducers would also come in handy, as well as its ability to passively spread chip damage via Rocky Helmet. Pineco , Politoed, Shedninja, Xatu, Dugtrio Dugtrio was introduced as a means with which to handle specific threats, isolating Pokemon such as Ninetales, Tentacruel, and Tyranitar, and dispatching them for the rest of the team, though it was later discovered to have various other utility roles as well; as weak as it may be, it could push damage on certain offensive builds rather well with hazards down and its Focus Sash intact, and its synergy with facets such as Perish Song and Toxic greatly extended its utility given creative play. This build basically cemented the quick-stall mentality of this team, being something that would obviously never be seen on a full stall build, though its role was significant to the point of almost automatic inclusion on the team. Pineco , Politoed, Shedninja, Xatu, Dugtrio, Jirachi With the immediate synergies of the team sorted for the most part, the final team-slot was occupied by various Pokemon meant to serve as 'glue' for the team: CB Scizor, Scarf Mamoswine, assorted Techniloom sets, Ditto, and more all fit into this slot at one point or another. However, in the end, Choice Scarf Jirachi was decided as the occupant of the final team-slot, serving as a late-game cleaner, check to assorted threats, and reinforcer of certain lead match-ups for the team. The utility provided by Trick was also quite useful in the team's match-up with more defensive builds, which was quite evidently one of the team's poorer match-ups. For reference, here is a brief replay showcasing this team's match-up with what could be considered a "standard" Hyper Offense team, for some better understanding of what exactly I mean by having a strong match-up with such builds. http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen5ou-116019226 I'd like to say that this will be reserved for a threat list, but given the annoying limits presented by the 16 image maximum, I suppose it will likely only address specific Pokemon that prove consistently threatening to the team.