Introduction
..........
Team Building Process
..........
I started off with a Mamoswine / Gyarados / Heatran core as everyone knows they cover each others weaknesses almost flawlessly. Not only that but they all carry some natural bulk, some great resistances and immunities and hit like a truck. Mamoswine offered a nice priority move, Heatran offered Stealth Rock's and Gyarados has its great ability, Intimidate, which in the end saves my ass so many times.
I added Birijion simply to handle weather teams, predominantly rain and sandstorm teams. He is really fragile and can't really serve any other purpose on this team. However he is needed in order to counter weather teams. Sometimes it just feels as though he isn't pulling his weight, but at other times he is my MVP. He is very frail and does need to stay off the field for most of the time.
I added a Dragonite on becuase I had seen a spike in them and it's ability Multi-Scale really drew me in. It didn't really bring anything new to the table that really helped. I did know that he got flawless coverage barring Heatran in two moves, so if he ever got the chance to set up it was pretty much over for the opponent. Other than that he didn't offer any new resistances that I could abuse.
I noticed I had nothing that could take a status move. I immediately saw Rankurusu as the only Pokemon that could work well on this team. I had seen this guy sweep many a team and I thought I really needed to use it and make it work on my team. He takes a hit like a champ and can dish it back to them. He also gives a valuable fighting resist, which plague this metagame.
Mamoswine just wasn't getting the job done. Sure he had priority moves and amazing attack and speed stats with a Choice Scarf but its array of weaknesses meant a lot of Pokemon could hit him hard. I wanted something that kept the same immunity but had less weaknesses. It also had to have an amazing speed and atack stat. The only thing I saw that could fit the bill was Garchomp. I also didn't have a Dragon that could wreck things up late game so Garchomp was perfect. Garchomp outruns all the all Dragons besides Lati@s and they usually don't ever run a CHoice Scarf set, meaning that he outspeeds and OHKO's all Dragons besides Multi-Scale Dragonite.
I soon figured out that Dragonite and Gyarados weren't really offering anything different. They both have similar weaknesses and resistances and immunities but I found that even with the amazing ability Multi-Scale, Intimidate worked better almost indefinately. I also found it a lot easier to set up with Gyarados than with Dragonite. I decided that another steel Pokemon was needed to take the stress off Heatran taking repeated Draco Meteor's or Outrage's. It needed to benefit my team's rather offensive playstyle so the only thing that would really help was Magnezone. Being able to kill steel Pokemon also helped Garchomp sweep late game, aswell as opening up a teams defensive core, seeing as Burungeru + Nattorei is such a common defensive core in this metagame.
I know what your thinking. Why Cloyster? It is amazing at taking a physical hit that isn't super effective and I've found him to me able to handle weather teams that have plagued me. He finds no trouble setting up a Shell Smash if needed and can wreck teams that are unprepared. All in all he does a great job at everything, even able to take a few hits on the physical side. However the lack of Stealth Rocks does worry me, giving things like Urugumosu an easier time at setting up. Luckily CLoyster offers so many things to this team inclusing a 4x ice resist that I can overlook the minor altercation.
My latest change is from Rankurusu to Shinboraa. They both offer almost the exact same things, with Shinboraa having the advantage over Rankurusu in my opinion. He offers a better 4x resist and the same immunity to entry hazards and status. However the difference is that he can spread status, take a hit and sweep, Rankurusu only being able to take a few hits and sweep. Also his acceptable speed really does make a difference.
I decided to try out LK's suggestion of using a Bronzong. There is a lot of suffling going around for this position, but thats not suprising. This guy needs to counter sandstorm threats, set up entry hazards and take hits and not ruin the teams synergy. So it is for that reason that I need him to run Heatproof. I thought that there were more than enough Ground immunities and replacing Heatran meant you needed someone to laugh off a fire move. The great thing about Bronzong is that it can stand its own against some great threats and cripple things like Evolution Stone Chansey.
With the ban lifted off Shandera is there really any wonder as to how it made it onto my team. Over Magnezone, it offers nearly the exact same thing, except that it can trap even more threats. It doesn't have a dragon resist which is a bummer but it makes up for it with its raw power.
Team At A Glance
..........
In Depth Analysis
..........
Garchomp (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
ScarfChomp. This thing nabs so many kills it’s not even funny. Its great typing, only shared with Flygon, is what makes him so great. Immunity to Electric and resistances to very common attacking moves gives him plenty of opportunities to come in. Blaziken’s fall victim to him all the time, thinking they can outspeed him. Without the proper EV investment he can even out speed a Blaziken at +1. His impressive moveset and great dual STAB gives him a smorgasbord of sets to abuse. Late game, Outrage destroys teams and leaves them crying. With Earthquake his dual STAB grants almost perfect coverage, expect stuff like Bronzong, which are all handled by Fire Blast. Fire Blast was chosen over Fire Fang simply because most steel Pokemon tend to be physically orientated. Stone Edge means that the likes of Borutorosu and Urugumosu can't touch me.
Shinboraa (F) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 12 SpA / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Cosmic Power
- Roost
- Psycho Shift
- Assist Power
I changed it back to Shinboraa after Rankurusu wasn't working. He was more of a dead weight, usually getting critted by faster Pokemon. Shinboraa offers his usual 4x resistance as well as the amazing ability, Magic Guard. He is the only Pokemon thus far that can spread absorb and spread status scotch free. However the highlight of this set is the lethal combination of Cosmic Power and Assist Power. Assist Power starts off as a base 20 Psychic move, being mocked by better alternatives such as Psychic. However with each boost to Shinboraa's defenses the power of Assist Power is increased by 20 BP. That means after one Cosmic Power Assist Power becomes a 60 BP Psychic move, and after 6 Cosmic Power's it becomes a 260 BP Psychic move, not yet factoring in STAB. With a reliable form of recovery to back it up there is no stop to this guy unless there is an unlucky crit.
Birijion @ Leftovers
Trait: Justice Heart
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Birijion is simply here for his prowess in checking weather teams, predominantly rain and sandstorm teams. Calm Mind is what allows it to overcome weather teams. After couple Calm Mind’s he can shrug of Ice Beam’s and the likes of it. After I set up a few more Calm Mind’s I can Giga Drain to restore lost HP. With the new and improved 75BP Giga Drain is hurting more than ever. Coupled with Focus Blast gives it strong dual STAB moves. The shaky accuracy of Focus Blast has lost me matches before, but it has also made up for it numerous times. Hidden Power Ice allows it to hit things like Dragons that resist its STAB hard. Justice Heart never seems to work for me and to tell you the truth I’m hoping he gets a better ability, maybe Herbivore. But until that day comes he’s stuck with a rather useless ability in my eyes. A lot of things do give this guy trouble, but the only thing I need him for is to check whether teams and that’s it.
Bronzong (F) @ Choice Band
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Stealth Rock
- Trick
- Gyro Ball
- Zen Beadbutt
This guy can do it all. The first and most important thing that he can do is set up Stealth Rocks. Since fourth gen Stealth Rock's have been the must of any sucessful team. They put an end to the dominant fire Pokemon by limiting the amount of times they are able to switch in. Trick gives him the opporunity to criplle any wall or set up sweeper. After Chansey or Dusclops loses their Evolution Stone they are dead weight to their opponent. Gyro Ball + Zen Headbutt round off this set giving Bronzong two powerful STAB moves. Gyro Ball hits those speedy Pokemon any can pretty much OHKO all of them. Zen Headbutt gives you the hands up on fighting Pokemon.
Shandera (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Shadow Tag
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Overheat
- Energy Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
It is your typical, generic Choice Scarf set. Nothing onld, nothing new. Overheat is always superior on a choice set. Who is seriously going say hey, he just used a Fire move, maybe I should switch in my Erufuun. Shadow Ball accompanies Overheat to provide two amazing STAB moves. Energy Ball picks off those pesky Bulky Waters whihc plague this team. Hidden Power was a diffucult choice. I wanted Ice for dragons, but that meant that Heatran walled me. I then wanted Ground for Heatran, but Sazandora walled me. So it is with that logic that I came to Hidden Power Fighting. With no resistors of my moveset, I think it is blatently obvious why each move is there. The only set which is viable right now in my opinion is the Choice Scarf set. It makes up for his lackluster speed stat and all together just makes him a better Pokemon.
Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP / 72 Atk / 96 Def / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Taunt
- Waterfall
- Bounce
BulkyDos makes a return to Pokemon this generation. A threat since Gen 1, he has continuously found use from generation to generation and many realise what a threat he is. Dragon Dance is what really gives him the upper hand. Raising his two most important stats, attack and speed, is a godsend for Gyarados. Since I am running a bulky set he is able to take hits like a champ. However I have to say Taunt is what really makes this set. One of the most common switch ins for Gyarados is Nattorei. After a Taunt he can’t Leech Seed me and both his STAB moves are resisted or neutral to Gyarados. It also stops status spreaders from spreading and Whirlwinder’s from doing their thing. The lack of reliable recovery is a problem at times though. However Gyarados’ great typing means it resists the most common priority moves, Fighting and Water. Waterfall + Bounce gives great coverage and are both of Gyarados’ STAB moves. The reason I chose Bounce over Stone Edge is because it allows for another turn of Leftovers recovery. Bounce does mean a lot more things resist Gyarados’ attacks but in the long run it helps.
Threats
..........
Not so much a threat, more just a pain. It can trap and kill a vital part of my team, escpecially things like Magnezone that is my only dragon resist. Luckily it is frail and almost all my Pokemon can deal with him in their own way. Gyarados has a base speed of 81, just faster than Shandera and Garchomp can outrun all versions of him, unless it is a Nitro Charge and it is at +2 or greater.
Importable
..........
Final Glance
..........
..........
Hello
I decided that it was about time I got a different perspective on my team, knowing that there might be a major inherent flaw that I never pondered on. This team has been a great sucess to me, being by far the most successful team to date. It sucessfully peaked at #1 on PO, which was suprising, seeing that this team started off as a train wreck. It took a while and the effort put into the making of this team was monumental. I went from a not so very good team to an amazing team which has taken me to the top of the leaderboard.
To give you some background on this team you need to understand the threats that I faced. During a metagame dominated by weather and before the ban of Swift Swim simutaneously with Drizzle there was a lot to consider when creating a team. Should I run a weather team of my own? Is a Cloud Nine'r needed on teams nowadays? In the end I knew that with weather games competing to keep their weather up meant that there were turns wasted trying to bring up their own weather. I decided that instead of fighting over which weather is predominant over the other that I should instead carry something that could handle weather. My gamestyle is very offensive and fast paced. I really like playing the prediction game. Having to guess correctly what move is next is what really does make Pokemon all that more enjoyable in my eyes.
The key to making a non-weather team is rather hard to implement. First you must have a strong core of 3 Pokemon that feed off each others weaknesses. This is the hardest thing, seeing that you need the perfect power of bulk, power and speed as well as having a reputation and prowess in what they do. The next crucial step in the exploration of team building is the uncommon status abuser or absorber. There is a plethora of status flying around this generation, as more and more Pokemon are becoming specialists in status spreading and being absurdly annoying. With weather a major contributing factor to games nowadays you must carry a weather counter in your team. There isnt really a smogasbord of 3 in 1 weather counters currently, but as time passes I'm sure there will be a plateau of options. The other last spot is really just to patch the team up. Some run a designated lead, some a revenge killer, some carry a steel killer. In the end it patches your team up to what it is weak against. What ever it is you must be sure that it doesn't completely affect your synergy and add unnecessary weaknesses when there are better options. In fact it is better off helping your core than hindering it.
In the end this team isn't meant for everyone's playstyle as this team does require a lot of good prediction, which comes with hours and hours of play. Some prefer stall based teams, others weather teams. In the end I put this team up to help those struggling and unsure of what needs to be done in order to reach the top of the ladder. It benefits both the community and the team creator as there are great ideas out there waiting to be heard. I'm sure with the continuing development of 5th generation that there will be never before seen threats.
So go ahead and critise and nitpick and dismantle my team, so long as you give me a rate!
I decided that it was about time I got a different perspective on my team, knowing that there might be a major inherent flaw that I never pondered on. This team has been a great sucess to me, being by far the most successful team to date. It sucessfully peaked at #1 on PO, which was suprising, seeing that this team started off as a train wreck. It took a while and the effort put into the making of this team was monumental. I went from a not so very good team to an amazing team which has taken me to the top of the leaderboard.
To give you some background on this team you need to understand the threats that I faced. During a metagame dominated by weather and before the ban of Swift Swim simutaneously with Drizzle there was a lot to consider when creating a team. Should I run a weather team of my own? Is a Cloud Nine'r needed on teams nowadays? In the end I knew that with weather games competing to keep their weather up meant that there were turns wasted trying to bring up their own weather. I decided that instead of fighting over which weather is predominant over the other that I should instead carry something that could handle weather. My gamestyle is very offensive and fast paced. I really like playing the prediction game. Having to guess correctly what move is next is what really does make Pokemon all that more enjoyable in my eyes.
The key to making a non-weather team is rather hard to implement. First you must have a strong core of 3 Pokemon that feed off each others weaknesses. This is the hardest thing, seeing that you need the perfect power of bulk, power and speed as well as having a reputation and prowess in what they do. The next crucial step in the exploration of team building is the uncommon status abuser or absorber. There is a plethora of status flying around this generation, as more and more Pokemon are becoming specialists in status spreading and being absurdly annoying. With weather a major contributing factor to games nowadays you must carry a weather counter in your team. There isnt really a smogasbord of 3 in 1 weather counters currently, but as time passes I'm sure there will be a plateau of options. The other last spot is really just to patch the team up. Some run a designated lead, some a revenge killer, some carry a steel killer. In the end it patches your team up to what it is weak against. What ever it is you must be sure that it doesn't completely affect your synergy and add unnecessary weaknesses when there are better options. In fact it is better off helping your core than hindering it.
In the end this team isn't meant for everyone's playstyle as this team does require a lot of good prediction, which comes with hours and hours of play. Some prefer stall based teams, others weather teams. In the end I put this team up to help those struggling and unsure of what needs to be done in order to reach the top of the ladder. It benefits both the community and the team creator as there are great ideas out there waiting to be heard. I'm sure with the continuing development of 5th generation that there will be never before seen threats.
So go ahead and critise and nitpick and dismantle my team, so long as you give me a rate!
Team Building Process
..........
I started off with a Mamoswine / Gyarados / Heatran core as everyone knows they cover each others weaknesses almost flawlessly. Not only that but they all carry some natural bulk, some great resistances and immunities and hit like a truck. Mamoswine offered a nice priority move, Heatran offered Stealth Rock's and Gyarados has its great ability, Intimidate, which in the end saves my ass so many times.
I added Birijion simply to handle weather teams, predominantly rain and sandstorm teams. He is really fragile and can't really serve any other purpose on this team. However he is needed in order to counter weather teams. Sometimes it just feels as though he isn't pulling his weight, but at other times he is my MVP. He is very frail and does need to stay off the field for most of the time.
I added a Dragonite on becuase I had seen a spike in them and it's ability Multi-Scale really drew me in. It didn't really bring anything new to the table that really helped. I did know that he got flawless coverage barring Heatran in two moves, so if he ever got the chance to set up it was pretty much over for the opponent. Other than that he didn't offer any new resistances that I could abuse.
I noticed I had nothing that could take a status move. I immediately saw Rankurusu as the only Pokemon that could work well on this team. I had seen this guy sweep many a team and I thought I really needed to use it and make it work on my team. He takes a hit like a champ and can dish it back to them. He also gives a valuable fighting resist, which plague this metagame.
Mamoswine just wasn't getting the job done. Sure he had priority moves and amazing attack and speed stats with a Choice Scarf but its array of weaknesses meant a lot of Pokemon could hit him hard. I wanted something that kept the same immunity but had less weaknesses. It also had to have an amazing speed and atack stat. The only thing I saw that could fit the bill was Garchomp. I also didn't have a Dragon that could wreck things up late game so Garchomp was perfect. Garchomp outruns all the all Dragons besides Lati@s and they usually don't ever run a CHoice Scarf set, meaning that he outspeeds and OHKO's all Dragons besides Multi-Scale Dragonite.
I soon figured out that Dragonite and Gyarados weren't really offering anything different. They both have similar weaknesses and resistances and immunities but I found that even with the amazing ability Multi-Scale, Intimidate worked better almost indefinately. I also found it a lot easier to set up with Gyarados than with Dragonite. I decided that another steel Pokemon was needed to take the stress off Heatran taking repeated Draco Meteor's or Outrage's. It needed to benefit my team's rather offensive playstyle so the only thing that would really help was Magnezone. Being able to kill steel Pokemon also helped Garchomp sweep late game, aswell as opening up a teams defensive core, seeing as Burungeru + Nattorei is such a common defensive core in this metagame.
I know what your thinking. Why Cloyster? It is amazing at taking a physical hit that isn't super effective and I've found him to me able to handle weather teams that have plagued me. He finds no trouble setting up a Shell Smash if needed and can wreck teams that are unprepared. All in all he does a great job at everything, even able to take a few hits on the physical side. However the lack of Stealth Rocks does worry me, giving things like Urugumosu an easier time at setting up. Luckily CLoyster offers so many things to this team inclusing a 4x ice resist that I can overlook the minor altercation.
My latest change is from Rankurusu to Shinboraa. They both offer almost the exact same things, with Shinboraa having the advantage over Rankurusu in my opinion. He offers a better 4x resist and the same immunity to entry hazards and status. However the difference is that he can spread status, take a hit and sweep, Rankurusu only being able to take a few hits and sweep. Also his acceptable speed really does make a difference.
I decided to try out LK's suggestion of using a Bronzong. There is a lot of suffling going around for this position, but thats not suprising. This guy needs to counter sandstorm threats, set up entry hazards and take hits and not ruin the teams synergy. So it is for that reason that I need him to run Heatproof. I thought that there were more than enough Ground immunities and replacing Heatran meant you needed someone to laugh off a fire move. The great thing about Bronzong is that it can stand its own against some great threats and cripple things like Evolution Stone Chansey.
With the ban lifted off Shandera is there really any wonder as to how it made it onto my team. Over Magnezone, it offers nearly the exact same thing, except that it can trap even more threats. It doesn't have a dragon resist which is a bummer but it makes up for it with its raw power.
Team At A Glance
..........
In Depth Analysis
..........
Garchomp (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
ScarfChomp. This thing nabs so many kills it’s not even funny. Its great typing, only shared with Flygon, is what makes him so great. Immunity to Electric and resistances to very common attacking moves gives him plenty of opportunities to come in. Blaziken’s fall victim to him all the time, thinking they can outspeed him. Without the proper EV investment he can even out speed a Blaziken at +1. His impressive moveset and great dual STAB gives him a smorgasbord of sets to abuse. Late game, Outrage destroys teams and leaves them crying. With Earthquake his dual STAB grants almost perfect coverage, expect stuff like Bronzong, which are all handled by Fire Blast. Fire Blast was chosen over Fire Fang simply because most steel Pokemon tend to be physically orientated. Stone Edge means that the likes of Borutorosu and Urugumosu can't touch me.
Shinboraa (F) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 12 SpA / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Cosmic Power
- Roost
- Psycho Shift
- Assist Power
I changed it back to Shinboraa after Rankurusu wasn't working. He was more of a dead weight, usually getting critted by faster Pokemon. Shinboraa offers his usual 4x resistance as well as the amazing ability, Magic Guard. He is the only Pokemon thus far that can spread absorb and spread status scotch free. However the highlight of this set is the lethal combination of Cosmic Power and Assist Power. Assist Power starts off as a base 20 Psychic move, being mocked by better alternatives such as Psychic. However with each boost to Shinboraa's defenses the power of Assist Power is increased by 20 BP. That means after one Cosmic Power Assist Power becomes a 60 BP Psychic move, and after 6 Cosmic Power's it becomes a 260 BP Psychic move, not yet factoring in STAB. With a reliable form of recovery to back it up there is no stop to this guy unless there is an unlucky crit.
Birijion @ Leftovers
Trait: Justice Heart
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Birijion is simply here for his prowess in checking weather teams, predominantly rain and sandstorm teams. Calm Mind is what allows it to overcome weather teams. After couple Calm Mind’s he can shrug of Ice Beam’s and the likes of it. After I set up a few more Calm Mind’s I can Giga Drain to restore lost HP. With the new and improved 75BP Giga Drain is hurting more than ever. Coupled with Focus Blast gives it strong dual STAB moves. The shaky accuracy of Focus Blast has lost me matches before, but it has also made up for it numerous times. Hidden Power Ice allows it to hit things like Dragons that resist its STAB hard. Justice Heart never seems to work for me and to tell you the truth I’m hoping he gets a better ability, maybe Herbivore. But until that day comes he’s stuck with a rather useless ability in my eyes. A lot of things do give this guy trouble, but the only thing I need him for is to check whether teams and that’s it.
Bronzong (F) @ Choice Band
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Stealth Rock
- Trick
- Gyro Ball
- Zen Beadbutt
This guy can do it all. The first and most important thing that he can do is set up Stealth Rocks. Since fourth gen Stealth Rock's have been the must of any sucessful team. They put an end to the dominant fire Pokemon by limiting the amount of times they are able to switch in. Trick gives him the opporunity to criplle any wall or set up sweeper. After Chansey or Dusclops loses their Evolution Stone they are dead weight to their opponent. Gyro Ball + Zen Headbutt round off this set giving Bronzong two powerful STAB moves. Gyro Ball hits those speedy Pokemon any can pretty much OHKO all of them. Zen Headbutt gives you the hands up on fighting Pokemon.
Shandera (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Shadow Tag
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Overheat
- Energy Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
It is your typical, generic Choice Scarf set. Nothing onld, nothing new. Overheat is always superior on a choice set. Who is seriously going say hey, he just used a Fire move, maybe I should switch in my Erufuun. Shadow Ball accompanies Overheat to provide two amazing STAB moves. Energy Ball picks off those pesky Bulky Waters whihc plague this team. Hidden Power was a diffucult choice. I wanted Ice for dragons, but that meant that Heatran walled me. I then wanted Ground for Heatran, but Sazandora walled me. So it is with that logic that I came to Hidden Power Fighting. With no resistors of my moveset, I think it is blatently obvious why each move is there. The only set which is viable right now in my opinion is the Choice Scarf set. It makes up for his lackluster speed stat and all together just makes him a better Pokemon.
Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP / 72 Atk / 96 Def / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Taunt
- Waterfall
- Bounce
BulkyDos makes a return to Pokemon this generation. A threat since Gen 1, he has continuously found use from generation to generation and many realise what a threat he is. Dragon Dance is what really gives him the upper hand. Raising his two most important stats, attack and speed, is a godsend for Gyarados. Since I am running a bulky set he is able to take hits like a champ. However I have to say Taunt is what really makes this set. One of the most common switch ins for Gyarados is Nattorei. After a Taunt he can’t Leech Seed me and both his STAB moves are resisted or neutral to Gyarados. It also stops status spreaders from spreading and Whirlwinder’s from doing their thing. The lack of reliable recovery is a problem at times though. However Gyarados’ great typing means it resists the most common priority moves, Fighting and Water. Waterfall + Bounce gives great coverage and are both of Gyarados’ STAB moves. The reason I chose Bounce over Stone Edge is because it allows for another turn of Leftovers recovery. Bounce does mean a lot more things resist Gyarados’ attacks but in the long run it helps.
Threats
..........
Not so much a threat, more just a pain. It can trap and kill a vital part of my team, escpecially things like Magnezone that is my only dragon resist. Luckily it is frail and almost all my Pokemon can deal with him in their own way. Gyarados has a base speed of 81, just faster than Shandera and Garchomp can outrun all versions of him, unless it is a Nitro Charge and it is at +2 or greater.
Importable
..........
Garchomp (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
Birijion @ Leftovers
Trait: Justice Heart
EVs: 16 HP / 240 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Calm Mind
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Shinboraa (F) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 12 SAtk / 244 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Cosmic Power
- Roost
- Psycho Shift
- Assist Power
Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP / 72 Atk / 96 Def / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Taunt
- Waterfall
- Bounce
Heatran (F) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Overheat
- Earth Power
- Dragon Pulse
Magnezone @ Leftovers
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Charge Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Trait: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
Birijion @ Leftovers
Trait: Justice Heart
EVs: 16 HP / 240 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Calm Mind
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Shinboraa (F) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 12 SAtk / 244 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Cosmic Power
- Roost
- Psycho Shift
- Assist Power
Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP / 72 Atk / 96 Def / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Taunt
- Waterfall
- Bounce
Heatran (F) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Overheat
- Earth Power
- Dragon Pulse
Magnezone @ Leftovers
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Charge Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Final Glance
..........
