The Tormenting Stall [OU RMT]
Introduction
The basic idea behind the team, was to use Torment Tran, which from what I read, appeared to be amazing.
I mean just look at Heatran's typing, most pokemon are only going to carry one move that can deal damage
to Heatran, enough to break a substitute that is. When you combine this with his amazing defenses, and proper
residual damage, what you have is a pokemon that can quite literally obliterate complete teams, even by itself
once set up properly. Of course it does have drawbacks, namely other Heatran's, however if they are scarfed,
chances are you will have a substitute up, and can Torment him anyway!
Introduction
The basic idea behind the team, was to use Torment Tran, which from what I read, appeared to be amazing.
I mean just look at Heatran's typing, most pokemon are only going to carry one move that can deal damage
to Heatran, enough to break a substitute that is. When you combine this with his amazing defenses, and proper
residual damage, what you have is a pokemon that can quite literally obliterate complete teams, even by itself
once set up properly. Of course it does have drawbacks, namely other Heatran's, however if they are scarfed,
chances are you will have a substitute up, and can Torment him anyway!
As a fairly long time battler, stall was one thing I despised, and it actually looked somewhat fun to play, so I thought heck,
why not try it out?
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why not try it out?
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Team Building Process
So I start of with Heatran, the Torment Tran set, fairly basic. The whole team revolves
around him, and he is basically by the time he comes out, anything threating is either dead, or he can stall out.
Heatran
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Then of course, the two most basic elements which allow Torment Tran to function, Toxic Spikes
and Sandstream [Hail would damage Heatran!] Tentacruel is chosen, why? Roserade may be speedy,
but can really only function well as a lead, and I want something that can stall effectively, Tentacruel
fits the job perfectly, which high SpD. He can also Rapid Spin, and set down the much needed Toxic Spikes,
while also being able to absorb Toxic (Spikes). He is also able to take possible Fire/Fighting attacks
directed at any member, and is a great counter to the stall breaker that is MixApe.
Heatran + Tentacruel
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Now of course I need to get SandStream up as previously stated. I could go for Hippodowon here,
as he is an exceptional physical wall, but something I realised that would be devastating seemed to appear lethal,
that is a somewhat different set of the king, Tyranitar. The set he is running is pretty much a pure physical/bulky
sweeper, with substitute. Quite literally no one sees the Substitute coming, most switch to an appropriate pokemon
to avoid damage, yet are pretty much owned after the switch that pokemon in. He can also wall some pokemon
rather well, and his SpD laughs off lesser Special Sweepers.
Heatran + Tentacruel + Tyranitar
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Here it is time to choose an appropriate lead, and I can think of nothing other than good old reliable
Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl has been in many of my teams, simply because the usefulness of Stealth Rock is actually
amazing, crippling pokemon such as Salamence and Gyarados, and rendering them somewhat useless against such
stall. Taunt also prevents the opposing lead from setting up Stealth Rock, which would hinder me from switching
to resist attacks.
Aerodactyl + Heatran + Tentacruel + Tyranitar
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So now I look at my team, 3 of my team members are weak to Ground, and I am in dire need of a spin blocker.
I decided my clear weakness to Ground was an issue, I can't risk sacrificing too many Pokemon, an I decided to use one
of my favourite walls. Zapdos. Its bulk is often underestimated, and yet it still has enough SpA and Spe to even net
kills. It can OHKO so many of OU's most potent sweepers, its possibly the most under appreciated sets ever really.
Zapdos' ability is also godly with this team, Pressure actually does more than what one would expect. Zapdos is also
a key counter to most late game set ups, as well as the likes of Salamence and Gyarados if they have not used Dragon
Dance yet
Aerodactyl + Heatran + Tentacruel + Tyranitar + Zapdos
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Now here is where I start panicking. I need two unique things for this stall team to become godly in my opinion,
then again what team with 7 Pokemon isn't going to be awesome. This is where my current issue is, and
some help is required. I can either go for a Spin Blocker, as keeping Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock up is vital to the team's
strategy. Alternatively I could really do with another wall, a specialised wall like Blissey to completely screw over half the
sweepers in OU. I was unable to come to a direct decision, however there are several pokemon I think that can
fill this slot effectively.
So I start of with Heatran, the Torment Tran set, fairly basic. The whole team revolves
around him, and he is basically by the time he comes out, anything threating is either dead, or he can stall out.
Heatran
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Then of course, the two most basic elements which allow Torment Tran to function, Toxic Spikes
and Sandstream [Hail would damage Heatran!] Tentacruel is chosen, why? Roserade may be speedy,
but can really only function well as a lead, and I want something that can stall effectively, Tentacruel
fits the job perfectly, which high SpD. He can also Rapid Spin, and set down the much needed Toxic Spikes,
while also being able to absorb Toxic (Spikes). He is also able to take possible Fire/Fighting attacks
directed at any member, and is a great counter to the stall breaker that is MixApe.
Heatran + Tentacruel
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Now of course I need to get SandStream up as previously stated. I could go for Hippodowon here,
as he is an exceptional physical wall, but something I realised that would be devastating seemed to appear lethal,
that is a somewhat different set of the king, Tyranitar. The set he is running is pretty much a pure physical/bulky
sweeper, with substitute. Quite literally no one sees the Substitute coming, most switch to an appropriate pokemon
to avoid damage, yet are pretty much owned after the switch that pokemon in. He can also wall some pokemon
rather well, and his SpD laughs off lesser Special Sweepers.
Heatran + Tentacruel + Tyranitar
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Here it is time to choose an appropriate lead, and I can think of nothing other than good old reliable
Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl has been in many of my teams, simply because the usefulness of Stealth Rock is actually
amazing, crippling pokemon such as Salamence and Gyarados, and rendering them somewhat useless against such
stall. Taunt also prevents the opposing lead from setting up Stealth Rock, which would hinder me from switching
to resist attacks.
Aerodactyl + Heatran + Tentacruel + Tyranitar
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So now I look at my team, 3 of my team members are weak to Ground, and I am in dire need of a spin blocker.
I decided my clear weakness to Ground was an issue, I can't risk sacrificing too many Pokemon, an I decided to use one
of my favourite walls. Zapdos. Its bulk is often underestimated, and yet it still has enough SpA and Spe to even net
kills. It can OHKO so many of OU's most potent sweepers, its possibly the most under appreciated sets ever really.
Zapdos' ability is also godly with this team, Pressure actually does more than what one would expect. Zapdos is also
a key counter to most late game set ups, as well as the likes of Salamence and Gyarados if they have not used Dragon
Dance yet
Aerodactyl + Heatran + Tentacruel + Tyranitar + Zapdos
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Now here is where I start panicking. I need two unique things for this stall team to become godly in my opinion,
then again what team with 7 Pokemon isn't going to be awesome. This is where my current issue is, and
some help is required. I can either go for a Spin Blocker, as keeping Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock up is vital to the team's
strategy. Alternatively I could really do with another wall, a specialised wall like Blissey to completely screw over half the
sweepers in OU. I was unable to come to a direct decision, however there are several pokemon I think that can
fill this slot effectively.
Aerodactyl + Heatran + Tentacruel + Tyranitar + Zapdos + Skarmory
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As suggested by Alan and some others, I am changing the Zapdos to RotomW, the ResTalk set, which will work wonders,
not only can Rotom fend off Scizor with ease, but with the chosen set, he can also double as a status absorber. Changing
Gliscor as well, there is no point in having a suicide lead on a Stall Team, bad choice by me I guess.
Gliscor + Heatran + Tentacruel + Tyranitar + Rotom-W+ Skarmory
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The Team In Depth
Role: Lead
Gliscor @ Leftovers
Nature: Jolly | Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Moves:
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Roost
- Earthquake
As suggested by Alan, I have changed Aerodactyl to Gliscor, Gliscor can be an extreme pain to kill, as his typing is excellent bar his
weakness to Ice and Water, thankfully these moves are what most Physical Sweepers lack, and can allow me to set up rocks,
taking little damage from physical sweepers. He is also a dead set counter to Swords Dance Lucairo sets. This set also shuts down
opposing stall teams, Pokemon in specific include both Skarmory and Forretress.
Gliscor's STAB Earthquake has decent coverage as a single move, the list of pokemon it can take down is huge, and even with neautral
STAB Earthquake's, enough damage is being dealt to scare away Pokemon which lack defensive numbers. I am not going to make
Tyranitar lead, as he is an incredibly risky lead, and gets quite literally owned against Metagross and Swampert.
Ice moves are generally specially based, and I can switch to Tentacruel if appropriate. Against Azelf I switch to Tyranitar to get
Sandstream up, predicting the Taunt that is, then I do whatever >.>
Role: Staller
Heatran @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm | Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 244 HP / 32 SpA / 12 SpD / 220 Spe
Moves:
- Substitute
- Protect
- Torment
- Lava Plume
The star of the team, once 2 layers of Toxic Spikes are set up, this thing is ready to go, able to stall out an incredible amount
of pokemon. Basically you bring it in to force a switch, and substitute as they go to their counter. Protect as they attempt to
break your Substitute, and then Torment them, preventing them from using that move twice in a row. Usually allowing you to
keep brining back up Substitutes as their HP residually reaches 0.
Lava Plume:
Heatran's synergy with the team is somewhat subpar, that is it shares a common weakness with both Tentacruel and Tyranitar
to Ground type moves, however in that situation I can switch to either Zapdos or Skarmory. For any Fighting attacks, Skarmory,
Tentacruel or Zapdos are switched in, although usually I can Torment out the opposing pokemon's most threatening moves.
Role: Toxic Spiker and SpD Wall
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Nature: Calm | Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
Moves:
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Surf
Good old Tentacruel, even though I find him aesthetically disturbing, he still always feels like the right pokemon. Tentacruel
provides two key functions to the team, while also being a natural Special Wall. His two functions involve setting up Toxic Spikes,
crucial to Heatran's and the teams strategy. Rapid Spin is also extremely useful, in the event that I am facing another Stall
or team that uses Stealth Rock + Spikes.
Hidden Power [Electric] deals approximately 55% to Gyarados, more than enough to lure him into attacking, and then allowing
Skarmory a nice switch in afterwards. Roaring him out, and basically removing any threat of him, as after a 55% blow and
2 Stealth Rocks, he will be dead, and if he is not, Sandstorm would finish him off, as he would be under 6% HP. I can run
Ice Beam here, however nearly all Salamence's are running Life Orb, which I can quite easily stall out thanks to SS + LO recoil
and SR damage. As long as I have no entry hazards up against me, I can keep switching/protecting to ensure Salamence has little
to no effect on my team. I am considering using Sludge Bomb over Hidden Power [Electric], as I feel that it would be much better
to severely hurt other possible switch ins, such as the above mentioned Salamence, who of course try to net a free Dragon Dance.
Ground moves as stated before go to either Zapdos or Skarmory, Electric moves are generally Special, and Tyranitar can usually
tank them with the Sandstream Special Defense boost. Psychic is extremely rare, but Tyranitar or Skarmory can handle it
fairly well, not to mention Heatran.
Role: Revenge Killer + Sand Stream
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Nature: Jolly | Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moves:
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
Changed the set from TyraniBoah to Scarftar thanks to several people suggesting it. Basically it allows me to revenge kill several
pokemon which could possibly set up a Substitute on a switch, ie. Gengar vs Skarmory, so this guy can be the "go to" pokemon
if I do not have Sand Stream up, because quite simply it helps in taking down those who take damage from Sand Stream, and
nullifies recovery [Leftovers] on these foes, and walls which could normally give me trouble. This set ideally is there to revenge
kill MixMence, who otherwise causes absolute havoc among this team, and even if I do manage to switch in on a Earthquake,
Sand Stream will be up. So after the attack MixMence would be at 59% HP thanks to 1 hit of recoil from Life Orb and Sand
Stream, then it would be easy messing around with Heatran w/Protect and Skarmory, switching around would be far too easy.
It also gives me a surefire way of dealing with the likes of Starmie and Gengar unless they have a Substitute up, and well basically
able to handle nearly all the potent sweeper threats to this team such as Lucario and Infernape.
Role: ResTalker and Spin Blocker
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm | Ability: Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpDef
Moves:
- Discharge / Thunderbolt
- Will o Wisp
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
something like a mixed wall. This ResTalk set has three main functions other than walling several pokemon, firstly it can
block rapid spin due to its Ghost typing, which 'is a must' on such a stall team, I don't want to waste several turns
setting up to get them all blown away. Rotom-W can also absorb status, with the ResTalk combination, it also spreads
Paralysis and Burns across the opposing team with Will o Wisp and Discharge, having 30% change to cause Paralysis.
His typing and synergy work well with both Heatran and Skarmory, both of which resist both Dark and Ghost hits,
each being able to take either a specially based or physically based respectively, the latter allowing for a free
Whirlwind/Spikes turn.
Explanation:
Role: Spiker and Physical Wall
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Nature: Impish | Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Atk / 176 Def / 16 Spe
Moves:
- Brave Bird
- Whirlwind
- Spikes
- Roost
Completely standard like pretty much everything else. Its job is to not only get Spikes down for further entry hazards damage,
but also to tank Physical hits like a boss. It is also a very prominent member of the team, as it can tank many of the other
team member's type weaknesses.
Skarmory is also crucial in that it is the only thing that can tank hits from potent Physical Sweepers, and its weaknesses are
fairly well covered by the rest of the team.
I am using Shed Shell, as I do not want to lose him too early in the battle to Magnezone, because his role is much needed.
He can phaze with Whirlwind, especially when brought into something like Weavile, as I can not only shuffle through their team,
but also continually where them down.
Thanks for reading guys, rate, hate and steal!
