Need Help With Mega Venusaur Team

[Gmoneythebunny]

This is the first time that I made a team myself rather than looking one up, and it has been doing really well in Wifi Battles. However, I have some questions on how I can reduce its weaknesses, which I will say at the end.

These are my pokemon:


Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Speed / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Stealth Rock
- Sticky Web
- Spikes

Role: Utility. In best case scenarios I open with this guy. I try to put something to sleep and set up as many entry hazards as I can before going down. I tend to go sticky web -> stealth rock -> spikes, unless they have something with 4x weakness to rocks. If this set up isn't possible I hold onto him for later for free switch-ins or another chance to set up hazards.

Cloyster @ King's Rock
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Attack / 252 Speed / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Shell Smash
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast

Role: Physical Sweeper. This Pokemon is simply a beast. One shell smash and I can almost always take out 2-3 Pokemon before going down. If the opponent happens to have a grass type I often open with Cloyster (they send out grass type to predict Smeargle's spore) and then kill them or get a shell smash on the switch. I like king's rock because of the massive flinch chance (40%).

Venusaur @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spec Attack / 4 Spec Def
Modest Nature
- Growth
- Giga Drain
- Synthesis
- Sludge Bomb

Role: Mixed wall/ special attacker. Did I say that Cloyster was I beast? I forgot I had this guy right here. In mega form he can take all types of moves except for flying and psychic and ground. People often don't expect me to have growth, but this allows me to get strong on a switch in order to Giga drain/ Sludge bomb. One problem with this guy is that he is almost completely walled by steel types.

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Spec Attack / 252 Speed / 4 HP
Hasty Nature
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- U-turn

Role: Special sweeper. Greninja outspeeds much of the meta game, and his protean ability lets him do massive damage. Occasionally I open with him and scout with U-turn if I don't want to start Smeargle or Cloyster. The only way he could be better is if he had a fire move; steel types really get on my nerves.

Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spec Def / 4 Attack
Careful Nature
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Dragon Tail
- Earthquake

Role: Utility/ special wall. This Tyranitar is what I use to switch into special moves, or get rid of annoying set up Pokemon with dragon tail. He does tons of damage and eats up special attacks, but any steel, ground, or fighting physical move destroys him. One problem I have with this Pokemon is that his sand stream breaks Smeargle's sash if he hasn't seen battle yet.

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Attack / 252 Speed / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang

Role: Physical sweeper/ revenge killer. His earthquake allows him to kill annoying steel types like Klefki and Aegislash, but his massive speed is very useful at killing other things. Rough skin sometimes hurts the other guy just enough to get that crucial OHKO or 2HKO.

Overall, I think that my team is pretty solid. However, some issues I have with it after battling a lot are these:

-I have nothing on my team to take physical flying, fighting or ground moves, or special ice moves when my Venusaur isn't mega evolved.

-I have trouble doing damage to steel types. Venusaur is completely walled, and Cloyster and Greninja don't do much. Garchomp can hurt them with earthquakes, but things like Scizor, Lucario, and Metagross will just kill him after they take a hit. (Should I get a fire move/ Pokemon?)

-Tyranitar's sand stream ability breaks Smeargle's focus sash if he hasn't been used yet. This is really annoying late game if I still have him, it makes it so I often can't put anyone to sleep/ set up hazards.

-I don't have a ghost type to spin block for Smeargle. I tend to count on killing the rapid spinner before they can get a spin off, rather than using a ghost type. This often results in my Smeargle's life being wasted.

-I don't have any Pokemon that are weak to rocks, but the fact that I lack a rapid spinner is kind of unsettling.

-I don't really have a physical wall (besides the mixed wall that is Venusaur). This could be solved by replacing my T-tar with Gliscor.

-Tyranitar and Garchomp have almost the same movepool, which I think greatly reduces my overall coverage.

Thoughts? Any specific Pokemon to add or help in general would be much appreciated.

 

[Basileus]

Great team really, I like its diversity. However it isn't using sand as well as it could be. I have a few ideas on how to improve.

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1a.The deal with Smeargle is that it is rather easy to counter. Usually spore can be brushed off by any grass type (and so many people have ferrothorn) so at the most smeargle will set up hazards and then die. It really provides very little to the team as most people either have spinners or aren't afraid of entry hazards. To avoid sandstorms annoying damage while still setting up hazards your best choice is none other than one of my faves. Ferrothorn.

I suggest this set:

Ferrothorn @ Rocky Helmet/Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Leech Seed/thunder wave
- Protect
- Stealth Rock
- Power Whip

Now you can basically laugh at all physical sweepers without fire coverage and still be able to set up like a mad man with no problem. You can also mix and match its item with the moves leech seed and thunder wave depending on whether or not you want healing capabilities, or the power to more effectively cripple your opponent's physical sweepers, or both.

1b. If you really don't want to use Ferrothorn however, I suggest you give Smeargle leftovers as focus sash is ruined by sandstorm. In addition replace spikes with Dragon tail so you can really bother people with stealth rocks damage, and more importantly so you don't end up with a pokemon that has no attacks because that is very dangerous.

(note that you could really go either way with this one and there are pros/cons to both Smeargle and the pokemon I have suggested as an alternative so this one is totally up to you.)

2. Use Excadrill instead of Garacomp to get the maximum use from sandstorm. You don't want to be stuck into one move with Gchomp because usually it forces a switch and/or breaks momentum. To avoid this, just use Excadrill to take full advantage of sandstorm without the requirement of being trapped into one move. I would keep mostly the same Ev spread but instead give Excadrill leftovers and the moves Rapid Spin, Iron Head, Earthquake, and Rock Slide which should cover a decent amount of pokemon and adds to your team a spinner. :D

3. Just a minor change, for better coverage, I think you should give Tyranitar superpower instead of stone edge.

4. I think you would really love Jellicent. Cloyster right now has no point on this team and honestly is so fragile that II think you should change its concept completely. You are already set with a physical sweeper, you should use Jellicent to eat up rapid spins and spit out will-o-wisps as to ruin any other physical sweeper that might serve as a threat to your team.

Here is the moveset I suggest:

Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp

Great coverage and super fun to troll with, I love Jellicent personally. This set is the one I use most frequently but if you would like you could also use shadow ball over scald/ice beam if you feel it better fits your team.

Overall: This is a fun team, I like it. I really think it has great potential. The pokemon you have chosen are good, but I believe there are others that are better suited for the role you want. Secondly I think You should really consider using Jellicent. Never stop improving and good luck, Have Fun. :D

 

[Gmoneythebunny]

Thanks so much for your input! I really appreciate that you took the time to answer all of my questions, and I will certainly implement the changes in my team! Love the jellicent idea for a spin blocker, I completely forgot about that pokemon haha.

 

[reale]

if your opponent has defog, it could be bad, and are you sure running synthesis with tytar's sandstorm? maybe switch it with leech seed or something

 

[newtonja]

Overall I don't see a point in sandstorm, plus tyranitar adds to the already presesnt weakness to fighting. maybe you might want to change it to aegislash, this kinda takes care of flying and fighting weakness. what could also be an interesting option to to try a rain team, with politoad instead of tyranitar, and make the pokemon hold damp rock (I think that is the one that extends rain). The second option is more of an experiment but the first option I think would do good for the team