BinaryStall
or ‘I can’t think of a witty title’
Hey Smogon! This is my 2nd RMT. I originally made this team during the Salamence suspect period, and it did really well without big stall-breakers like Latias and Mence destroying everything. The idea was pretty much to set up Spikes, Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock, then phaze as much as possible, before cleaning up with Rotom-C. The team has gone through several changes and I think I’ve made it the best I can, but there’s definitely still room for improvement. So please read and rate my team, even if it’s only a minor change you’re thinking of. Thanks :)
Roserade (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature [+Spd, -Atk]
- Sleep Powder
- Toxic Spikes
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
or ‘I can’t think of a witty title’
Hey Smogon! This is my 2nd RMT. I originally made this team during the Salamence suspect period, and it did really well without big stall-breakers like Latias and Mence destroying everything. The idea was pretty much to set up Spikes, Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock, then phaze as much as possible, before cleaning up with Rotom-C. The team has gone through several changes and I think I’ve made it the best I can, but there’s definitely still room for improvement. So please read and rate my team, even if it’s only a minor change you’re thinking of. Thanks :)
At a Glance
Upon Closer Inspection...
Roserade (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature [+Spd, -Atk]
- Sleep Powder
- Toxic Spikes
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Your average lead Roserade. I’m using Roserade as my lead because it’s important to get Toxic Spikes up early so that bulky ‘mons will be Badly Poisoned, meaning they can’t just Recover or Wish+Protect (Vaporeon >_>) to stay alive. I use Roserade because IMO it’s the best Toxic Spiker for this team, with Forretress being a dead weight and Tentacruel being otherwise redundant. Sleep Powder is an amazing move, often turning the opposing lead into a dead weight. Sometimes, if Roserade is still alive by then, it is very handy for neutralising a threatening Pokemon in the midgame. Toxic Spikes generally put pressure on the opponent in combination with SR and Spikes, since whether you stay in or switch out you’re likely taking a fair bit of damage every turn. Leaf Storm is a great STAB option and Roserade’s limited but focused movepool means there’s not much else to put in there. Even though Roserade isn’t supposed to sweep, Leaf Storm off 125 base SpAtk really hurts even the Pokemon that resist Grass. HP Fire is pretty much filler, but it has its uses against Forretress and is preferable to Stun Spore, since if the opposing Pokemon is paralysed it can’t be poisoned.
Nature and EVs give me the best chance against opposing Roserade leads, although I’ll probably switch out anyway to increase Roserade’s longevity. Natural Cure is a better ability over Poison Point when Toxic Spikes are poisoning virtually everything anyway.
Swampert (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Def
Relaxed nature [+Def, -Spd]
- Stealth Rock
- Ice Beam
- Earthquake
- Roar
Swampert is a handy physical wall and Stealth Rock-er with only one weakness. Pert is important for taking Electric attacks aimed at Skarmory and Gyarados, and the great thing about it is after Rocks are up it’s not a dead weight. It can still take hits, phaze to rack up damage and Earthquake and Ice Beam mean that it’s not too easy to set up on. Specifically, Ice Beam has utility against Gliscor, while Earthquake is useful against many of the Steel-types in OU. Swampert also takes Rock-types attacks, which hit the rest of the team for neutral or better damage.
Skarmory (M) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SDef
Impish nature [+Def, -SAtk]
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
Skarmory sets up Spikes, which are a great entry hazard that some teams aren’t prepared for. Stripping 25% off incoming Pokemon is a huge advantage. Skarmory also doubles as a physical wall, putting its Steel-type to good use. Roost is a must, healing half of Skarm’s health and enabling it to stall out many physical attackers, and even some special ones thanks to the healthy SpDef investment. Whirlwind works fantastically with Spikes and the rest of the team’s entry hazards, forcing switches which cost the opponent greatly. It’s also good for forcing out threatening pokemon and stat-uppers. Brave Bird is the obligatory STAB attack, but it’s not just so Taunt doesn’t totally ruin me: it’s useful for taking out cocky physical attacks who don’t realise that it will take out quite a bit of their health. Specifically, it helps enormously with Machamp and Breloom, who would otherwise wreak havoc. The EVs are simply for maximum Special Defence, helping Skarmory take weak Special attacks while not harming Skarmory’s physical walling capabilities.
Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SpAtk / 4 HP
Timid nature [+Spd, -Atk]
- HP [Electric]
- Earth Power
- Explosion
- Fire Blast
Scarftran is the team’s all-purpose revenge killer, late-game cleaner and troublesome Pokemon remover. Fire Blast takes chunks out of many things even without a boost from Life Orb or Choice Specs, and is usually the move of choice for revenge killing Pokes. Earth Power is mainly useful against other Heatran, since Fire Blast takes care of most other Steels. It is useful against Magnezone, though. It is also good for revenging Pokemon without the 15% risk of missing that Fire Blast carries. Explosion can be used as a last-ditch attempt to take out a Poke when Heatran is on low health, to revenge certain Pokemon and also as a win condition against the opponents last Pokemon. Finally, HP Electric is there for Gyarados. I guess I don’t really need it with Rotom and Skarmory on board, so you can suggest a replacement if you want. EVs and nature are for maximum speed, then as much power as possible.
Gyarados (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP/ 248 Def/ 12 Spd
Impish nature [+Def, -SpAtk]
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Waterfall
Gyarados might seem redundant with Swampert on the team, but it fills a different role on the team despite sharing the title of Bulky Water. Gyara usually fills an offensive role on teams but it’s also a great asset to stall teams, making it even easier to handle the powerful physical attackers which plague the metagame. Roar might also seem redundant when you consider my other two phazers, but having three phazers is actually great for putting pressure on the opponent – phaze, and once you’re forced out try and go to another phazer safely. Using this strategy makes full use of the entry hazards laid down by Roserade, Skarmory and Swampert. Rest is just for recovery but it’s necessary when SR is on the field. It’s also nice to be able to heal yourself completely while your opponent switches to a DD Gyara counter. Sleep Talk is pretty much just there in order for Gyara to not be a dead weight when sleeping and to pull of a +0 priority Roar now and then. Waterfall is the obligatory attacking move; it would be a shame to completely waste Gyara’s great Attack stat. Waterfall is also useful for picking off Pokemon weakened by hazards and as a weapon against Fire types.
The EVs and Nature are simply your average ResTalk Gyara’s spread, which I use because it does what it’s supposed to do: be really bulky
Rotom-c @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 64 HP/212 Spd/232 SAtk
Timid nature [+Spd, -Atk]
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Charge Beam
Rotom is the final member of the team. Once my other Pokemon are done setting up, Rotom can come in and set up a Substitute, protecting it from status and easing prediction. Charge Beam has a good chance to boost Rotom’s Sp. Atk, allowing the remaining moves to beat even the bulkiest of special walls. Shadow Ball is STAB and has pretty good neutral coverage, suffering only to Steel- and Dark-types. I have Thunderbolt over HP Fighting because it actually does more to Blissey (142.5 base power > 140 base power), and I’ll probably lose to Tyranitar anyway. Charge Beam is pretty underwhelming as a STAB move, and I didn’t want to waste a great offensive type in Electric, so I use Thunderbolt. I use Rotom-C for no particular reason over other forms. I wouldn’t gain anything using another form with the same moves, and I don’t need to scare off Scizor with Heat form.
Thanks for reading! There’s a threat list in the spoiler tags below, if you wanna have a look. Please suggest any changes you think would help. So far my biggest problems have been fast special attackers. Scarfing Heatran has helped but some are still an issue, such as most Gengar sets (particular Sub Gengars).
Possible Changes
-HP Ice on Heatran (if scarfed)-Specially-defensive Heatran (if non-scarfed)
-Bulky Roserade
-Skarmory Lead
-More special-defensive Gyara spread
Threat List (stolen from vashta)
Offensive Threats
| Aerodactyl:
• Leads: Roserade Leaf Storm right off the bat. Hopefully it will Taunt first turn so I can 2HKO it while it sets up Rocks. Swampert is also a good switch to KO it with Ice Beam.
• Sweepers: Swampert completely walls it and beats it with Ice Beam. Skarmory is also a good answer. Scarftran can revenge it with HP Electric.
.....
| Alakazam :
• Encore Leads: Switch to Heatran or something, Psychic destroys Roserade. Could try and sleep it but it might Taunt me.
• Generic Sweeper: Get Heatran in on a resist and Fire Blast it. Rotom could possibly survive an attack and KO it.
.....
| Azelf :
• Leads: Leaf Storm immediately, hopefully it Taunts so I can 2HKO it as it Stealth Rocks. Gotta be aware of pretty much every attack it carries but thankfully getting SR up is usually its priority. For the rare offensive lead, switch to Heatran once I figure it out and Fire Blast.
• Sweepers: Really dangerous. Gotta get Heatran in quickly and FB it, since it has little trouble with most of my team. Gyarados is probably my only chance at phazing it.
.....
| Breloom :
• Leads: Try and sleep it, Roserade handles it pretty well. If it’s Scarfed then just let Roserade take the sleep, wait a turn incase the opponent tries to get tricky, then switch out.
• Substitute: Pretty much the same as above, except using Heatran means it may get a Sub up.
.....
| Dragonite :
• Dragon Dance: Not too bad, Skarmory walls it if it doesn’t carry a special move, Gyara can Intimidate it, Swampert can Ice Beam it.
• Heal Bell + Dragon Dance: See above. Easier to handle since it has to rely on Dragon Claw, which means it’s easy to wall and phaze.
• Leads: Try and sleep it with Roserade. Could be troublesome because of its movepool. Try and switch around till it has a couple of SpAtk drops and then go to Skarm, who can stall it out. Heatran can Explode on it if worst comes to worst.
.....
| Dugtrio :
• Choice Band / Scarf: No worries, everything that it traps can kill it pretty easily, and it gives me lots of oppurtunities for set-up. It can really only hurt Heatran locked on HP Electric.
.....
| Electivire :
• Generic Sweeper: Scarftran destroys it, but if it gets a boost it’s hard to handle. Thankfully not many people use this anymore.
.....
| Empoleon :
• Lead: Beats Roserade with Ice Beam + Aqua Jet, I’m not too sure how much a Leaf Storm would do. Probably just go to Rotom and Thunderbolt it or go to Heatran.
• SubPetaya: Probably outspeeds Heatran after an Agility, not sure. If not then Heatran does fine. Either way I can phaze it with Gyara if it hasn’t got the Petaya boost yet.
• Tank: Rotom can Thunderbolt it, Roserade probably does a fair bit with Leaf Storm, Heatran can finish it, Gyara can phaze it if it doesn’t have HP Electric.
.....
| Flygon :
• Choiced users: Always U-turn so they’re easy to handle. The other 3 moves don’t pose much of a threat either. The best this thing can do is clean up late-game with Outrage.
.....
| Gengar :
• Substitute: Pretty huge threat. Basically destroys everything on my team bar Swampert, who can’t retaliate really. Gyarados is the only member of the team that can remotely handle a Special attack really so I have to hope it isn’t running Thunderbolt.
• Life Orb: Similar to above but easier because Substitute is gone. Just have to get Heatran in and FB it.
• Choiced user: Just have to predict right and I’m fine. Heatran can revenge it.
.....
| Gyarados :
• Dragon Dance: Rotom, but it can’t take repeated Waterfalls. Not sure if Heatran can outspeed some variants...
• RestTalker: Rotom can make short work of it. +0 priority Roar is a pain but what can you do? Heatran can KO it with HP Electric I think. Roserade can also come in and Lead Storm it.
.....
| Heatran :
• Choice Scarf: Not too worrying, I’ve got my own Heatran and Swampert to take Fire Blast and between the rest of the team I can handle it with good prediction.
• Choice Specs: Very similar to Scarf but it’s easier for my Heatran to KO it. The increase in power means that Swampert can’t take too many Fire Blasts, though. Gyara is a pretty good switch in.
• Life Orb: Not too bad. Most don’t run HP Electric so Gyarados does well against it. Scarftran can beat it easily. Swampert won’t enjoy repeated Fire Blasts but still does well.
• SubToxic: My own Heatran and Gyara, who can Rest of poison status/damage.
• Substitute + Torment: Gyara and Swampert can alternate Roar and Waterfall and Roar and Earthquake, respectively. Hopefully Roserade can suck up any Toxic Spikes so it’s less of a threat.
.....
| Heracross :
• Choice users: Play around them. Gyarados can Intimidate Hera so neutral attacks hurt Skarmory and Swampert less. I think Rotom resists most of its attacks.
.....
| Infernape :
• Special-based Mix: Gyara takes most attacks pretty well and can KO back with Waterfall. Heatran can outright kill it, but it might take a fair bit of damage from Vacuum Wave.
• Physical-based Mix: Easier to deal with than special. Gyara does well but has to be wary of Stone Edge and outright loses to Thunderpunch. Scarftran can revenge or come in on a Fire attack or Grass Knot.
• Choiced Mix: Don’t see this often. I think Gyarados would handle it pretty well, Heatran would to fine aswell.
• Lead: Try and sleep it, or break it’s sash and go to Heatran, or wall it with Gyara and kill it.
• Nasty Plot: Large threat. I think Heatran is KO’d by a +2 Vacuum Wave, so switching in on the Nasty Plot is a no-no. Gyara can take a +2 Grass Knot as long as it’s very healthy (i.e. Stealth Rock isn’t up).
.....
| Jirachi :
• Choiced users: Not really a threat, bar ridiculous hax. Iron Head is resisted by 5 members of the team. Can kill with Heatran or Swampert.
• Calm Mind: Can be threatening thanks to its speed and bulk. If it doesn’t have Sub then I can get Heatran in early and KO it without much trouble. Don’t see many of these so I don’t know how I would go against it.
.....
| Jolteon :
• Choice Specs: Swampert takes Thunderbolts, Heatran takes Shadow Balls and HP Grass/Ice. Have to predict right though, neutral Thunderbolts own.
• Life Orb: Can be threatening, best bet is to get Heatran in on a Hidden Power and force it out. Swampert can take most attacks if it’s healthy, but HP Grass destroys it.
.....
| Kingdra :
• Dragon Dance: Not a threat, Skarmory handles it very well. Swampert and Gyarados also do pretty well. If all else fails Scarftran can just explode on it (not sure if Heatran can outspeed though TBH).
• Rain Dance: Hard to deal with thanks to its immediate power and neutral coverage. Honestly I think this would rip through my team pretty easily, but I might stand a chance if I had all my hazards up...
.....
| Lucario :
• Swords Dance: Scarftran can either revenge it or come in on the SD. I think Mach Punch is a pretty uncommon choice on SD Luke. If it doesn’t have Stone Edge Gyara does pretty well. Not sure if Swampert can take a +2 CC at full health and survive to Earthquake back. Rotom does OK against certain movesets without Crunch.
• Choice Specs: I think I could handle this pretty well thanks to the team’s resistances.
.....
| Machamp :
• Sub + 3 attacks: Bit of a pain thanks to Substitute. As long as I can get Skarmory or Heatran in when it’s Sub is down I’m good.
• Lead: Hmm. Get a Leaf Storm in to weaken it, go to Skarm on the Bullet Punch and Brave Bird for the KO.
.....
| Magnezone :
• Choice Scarf: Not too bad, since its main niche of killing Skarmory is made a lot harder by Shed Shell. Only really threatening to Heatran, if it’s locked on HP Electric.
• Thunder Wave + Substitute: gragaharghalkjh I hate this thing! Heatran can’t do much when it’s paralysed. Swampert is great, as long as it doesn’t have HP Grass. If it does then I’m definitely at risk of being destroyed.
.....
| Mamoswine :
• Endeavor Lead: Not a problem, just sleep it straight away. If I get struck by hax then it could be a bit of a problem, but I think weakening it a little with a Rotom S-ball followed by a Fire Blast from Heatran would work well.
• Generic Sweeper: Heatran can take it out. Skarmory could set up Spikes on it and Pert could probably SR. Gyara can take everything minus Stone Edge.
.....
| Metagross :
• Lead: A bit tricky, depending on whether it’s Lum or Occa. I can handle either completely fine via Heatran or Sleep Powder, but it’s a guessing game as to which item it holds.
• AgiliGross: Swampert beats Agiligross. Rotom can beat it I think and Heatran can outspeed pre-Agility.
.....
| Porygon-Z :
• Choiced / Generic Sweeper: Send in Heatran to Fire Blast it. Could be an issue but I’m not too worried about these, since they’re pretty uncommon.
.....
| Rhyperior :
• SU(B)PERIOR: Swampert, Skarmory. Heatran could KO with Earth Power if it’s at low health.
• Trick Room: Get Pert in and kill it before it Swords Dances. Pretty uncommon but I don’t have a great answer to Rhyperior.
.....
| Scizor :
• Choice Band: Skarmory takes most attacks easily, as does Rotom. Heatran and Gyarados also handle it well.
• Swords Dance: Heatran, Gyarados.
.....
| Starmie :
• Defensive: Rotom can take a Surf easily and T-bolt. Rotom is the best answer, since I don’t want to lose my hazards. Heatran can HP Electric it. It doesn’t pose enough of an offensive threat to hurt my team too badly.
• Life Orb: Get Heatran in ASAP. Rotom can take one Hydro Pump I think, and retaliate with Thunderbolt. That’s about it.
.....
| Togekiss :
• ParaFlinch: Probably a threat, haven’t run into one of these thankfully.
• Choice Scarf Lead: Go to an Air Slash resist and wait to not be flinched. Rotom and Heatran can use their STABs to beat it (eventually!!).
• Nasty Plot: Rotom if it doesn’t get flinched, Heatran can Explode.
.....
| Tyranitar :
• Choice Band: Swampert handles this well. Skarmory can set up on Crunch, or Gyarados can hurt it with Waterfall.
• Choice Scarf: Pretty much the same as above but easier since it’s not as powerful and bulky.
• Dragon Dance: Swampert does fine. Skarmory can Whirlwind it out but might take a +1 Fire Punch in the process.
• TyraniBoah: Gyarados as long as it’s not running T-bolt. Swampert does alright otherwise but doesn’t like eating Focus Punches.
.....
| Weavile :
• Lead: Go to Skarmory and try to Whirlwind, or if it Taunts go to Swampert and Earthquake as it Taunts. If I can break its Sash then I’m fine as Heatran can Fire Blast it.
• Generic Sweeper: Gyarados, Swampert, Heatran.
.....
| Yanmega :
• Lead: Could try to sleep, but will lose most of Roserade’s health in the process. If it’s not running HP Ground then Heatran is perfect. HP Ground Yanmega won’t be getting past Skarmory so it’s okay.
• Generic Sweeper: Stealth Rock! Get Heatran in ASAP and Fire Blast it. Rotom can Thunderbolt it but won’t enjoy Specs-Bug Buzzes and Air Slashes.
.....
-------------------------
Defensive Threats
-------------------------
| Blissey :
• Generic Wall: Go to Swampert and Earthquake/Roar. If Toxic Spikes are up (even one layer is just enough), go to Rotom, sub and Charge Beam away. It can’t do much to Gyara bar Thunderbolt.
.....
| Bronzong :
• Standard Wall: Scarftran. It can’t do much to Rotom, who sets up on it. Skarmory also sets up. It can’t do anything to Gyarados or Pert bar Explosion.
.....
| Celebi :
• Standard Wall: Heatran, just gotta watch out for Earth Power. Rotom can Shadow Ball it.
.....
| Cresselia :
• Standard Wall: Set up with Rotom. Skarmory and Swampert can set up on this.
• Psycho Shift/Flame Orb: Heatran completely walls this. Skarmory and Swampert also do well, but neither appreciate the Attack drop and Burn damage.
.....
| Donphan :
• Standard Wall: Swampert can Ice Beam. Tricky to deal with since I need Rotom to block spin, but Ice Shards do –just- enough to be a threat (from experience, it’s a 4HKO).
.....
| Forretress :
• Standard Spiker: Again, gotta get Rotom in to prevent spinning. I usually just smack it with Thunderbolts. If I’m lucky it will be an Earthquake or Explosion variant.
.....
| Gliscor :
• Standard Wall/Stall-breaker: Swampert Ice Beam destroys this. A Heatran Fire Blast also does a fair bit of damage, but not quite a OHKO. Roserade’s Leaf Storm also wrecks Gliscor.
• Baton Pass: Similar to above, but becomes a threat if the opponent has Light Screen up. I pretty much just spam Ice Beam until I think they’re ready to pass, then try to Earthquake what is hopefully a Ground-weak pokemon as they switch in.
.....
| Hippowdon :
• Standard Wall: Roserade’s Leaf Storm does a lot of damage to this in the lead position. Swampert does well, setting up SR and Roaring it away.
.....
| Skarmory :
• Standard Wall/Spiker: Bait for Rotom to Substitute, or I can just Thunderbolt it straight away. Heatran can also come in and Fire Blast away.Spikes hurt Swampert and Heatran though.
.....
| Snorlax :
• Standard Wall: Will probably have Thick Fat, so Toxic Spikes should wear him down if I have two layers down. Skarmory can set up on it. Gyarados can Intimidate and Roar Cursers out. The key to beating Snorlax is to get plenty of entry hazards down.
.....
| Suicune:
• Calm Mind Tank: Get Rotom in ASAP and Thunderbolt the crap out of it. Heatran can Explode on it as a last resort. Skarmory can take a +1 Surf easily thanks being specially-defensive and Whirlwind it out.
.....
| Swampert :
• Standard Tank: Roserade destroys it, but Roserade might not be around for the midgame. Actually a bit annoying. I usually just spam Rotom-C Shadow Balls till it dies. Maybe I should have HP Grass on Heatran.
• CursePert: Roserade if it’s still around. Can explode with Heatran if I need to, and finish it off with Rotom, however that probably won’t work if it already has a Curse under its belt. Skarmory, Gyarados and Swampert can phaze it.
.....
| Tentacruel :
• Generic Wall: Rotom Thunderbolts it and blocks Rapid Spin. Roserade can suck up any Toxic Spikes it might lay. It can’t do much to Gyarados without HP Electric. Skarmory can set up on it. Swampert can Earthquake it for a fair amount of HP.
.....
| Vaporeon :
• Generic Wall: Hit it with Thunderbolts from Rotom. Can Leaf Storm with Roserade if it’s still around. Wish+Protect make it hard to kill, though.
.....
| Zapdos :
• Generic Wall: Swampert can set up on it if it lacks HP Grass. Ice Beam until it has to Roost then Earthquake for the kill. If all else fails, Sub then spam Charge Beam with Rotom until Thunderbolt or Shadow Ball can kill it.
• SubToxic: If Rotom can get a Sub up without being Toxic’d then I can set up, prediction comes into play here though since Zappy can break my subs with Thunderbolt (23%-26% dmg output). Otherwise not easy to deal with. Heatran can deal with it mildly well but will likely be stalled out of Fire Blast PP. Might have to explode on it to put it within a Rotom S-Ball KO range.
