Galladium
Banned deucer.
Hi everyone, I'm Galladium and this is my first RMT. There are two versions of this team, one has Aromatisse, and the other one has Xatu.
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In depth:
Gallade @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Bulk Up
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade / Fire Punch / Shadow Sneak
Gallade is my favourite Pokemon (of course), and this particular set was what inspired me to create this team. I've tried Swords Dance Gallade and Assault Vest Gallade before, but the problem always was that even though Gallade has good Special Defense, it's Defense really lets it down. However, I knew that Gallade could learn Bulk Up, so I paired it with Substitute, and found it worked really well. The idea is, Gallade comes in on a Burned Physical attacker (courtesy of Banette) or a Taunted wall that relies on Special attacks for damage (such as Amoonguss, also courtesy of Banette), and use Substitute on the switch / weak Special attack. This also has the effect of protecting Gallade from Status. Once the Substitute is up, Gallade begins to Bulk Up, increasing both his Attack and longevity, as it already has good Special Defense. Once Gallade has Bulked Up a couple of times (Substituting again when needed), it begins to rain down Close Combats on any Pokemon that is unlucky enough to be in at the time. Leaf Blade / Fire Punch / Shadow Sneak are for coverage, but as of now, I am unsure which works better. Although it generally does not last the match, Gallade is generally able to KO quite a few of the opponent's Pokemon before going down.
Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Sucker Punch
I've always really like Mega Banette (Prankster Taunt + Destiny Bond is really fun), and when I was thinking of Pokemon that can support Gallade, there seemed to be no excuse not to include it in my team. Taunt and Destiny Bond are pretty standard on Banette, Taunt shuts down walls, whilst Destiny Bond kills Setup Pokemon that are halfway through a sweep. The last two slots are where it gets more interesting. All forms of Gallade really appreciate a burned Physical Attacker, so I included Will-O-Wisp. As for the last move, Sucker Punch enables Banette to revenge kill weakened Pokemon (especially after a Taunt), and does a lot of damage to Jolteon, who for some reason, is often sent in against a predicted Will-O-Wisp. After taking one round of Stealth Rock damage and Burn damage, Jolteon is KO'ed by Sucker Punch, whilst Shadow Sneak, despite having STAB, doesn't do near as much damage. Banette is also a good counter to Doublade, as after Doublade has revenged something, it can come in and Burn it with Will-O-Wisp (if it has not Swords Danced), or take it down with Destiny Bond (if it has Swords Danced).
Escavalier @ Assault Vest
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
- Drill Run
When building a team, I always try to incorporate at least one well-known core in it. I was reading the RU Cores thread, and noticed this core, Escavalier and Aromatisse.
Escavalier is really bulky, even before an Assault Vest, and so can switch in on and punish pretty much any Pokemon that lacks a Fire move. Although I haven't seen it as much recently, Overcoat protects it from Spore, and retaliate (only Grass-types use Spore) with Megahorn. The rest of the moves are pretty self-explanatory, STAB on Iron Head, coverage with Knock Off and Drill Run.
Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 SpDef
Bold Nature
- Protect
- Wish
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy
Forming the second half of this core comes Aromatisse. When fully invested, Aromatisse can pass 202 HP Wishes to my team. The other EV's are there so that Aromatisse can avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Reckless Hi Jump Kick Hitmonlee. Aromatherapy is very beneficial to my team, as most of them don't like being Burned. Apart from that, I don't think this needs very much explanation.
Delphox @ Expert Belt
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Shadow Ball
So far, my team consisted of Physical attackers, so I added Delphox. I really don't like being Choice-locked and Life Orb recoil on top of a Stealth Rock weakness is annoying, so I chose Expert Belt, which complements it's already-good coverage and sometimes fools the opponent into thinking that I'm Scarfed. A Timid nature is used to outspeed other Delphox. That's all that needs explaining, really.
Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
This guy is a boss. Literally no Physical non-Grass or Water move can OHKO him, and he can retaliate back with an incredibly powerful Earthquake. My team has no other forms of hazards (apart from any hazards Xatu bounces back) so I gave him Stealth Rock. Earthquake and Stone Edge are standard on any Rhyperior, and Fire Punch lets it OHKO Escavalier / any other Fire-weak Pokemon. Before I included this guy, my team was very Braviary-weak, now I can't wait until it comes in (provided Rhyperior is still around). That's all I can think of at the moment.
Xatu @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def
Calm Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Roost
Yes, I know that Cresselia is generally better for Dual Screens, but Xatu currently has an important niche. RU is currently suspecting Shuckle (Sticky Web teams), and so I needed a counter if I was going to make any progress up the ladder. Bouncing back Sticky Web against teams that rely on it has won me games, as Sticky Web teams fall apart unless Sticky Web is on the opponent's side of the field. Apart from that, Dual Screens works really well, especially coming off base 95 Speed, and it can also do some damage with STAB Psychic.
The Dilemna
Once Sticky Web became so popular in RU, I knew I had to fit Xatu on my team. I swapped out Aromatisse, as I don't want too many support Pokemon, and I found I wasn't using it as much anyway. However, I am having lots of fun using Xatu, and am not sure whether I should keep it or swap Aromatisse back in once Shuckle is finally banned. That's the main reason I made this RMT, so I could get a professional opinion. So, I'd like to know whether I should keep Aromatisse or Xatu after the suspect has finished.
Checks/Counters
Unfortunately, I'm kind of bad at coming up with examples, but after numerous tests I've found that Doublade, Yanmega, Alomomola, and Braviary are the biggest threats. Doublade can destroy my team after a Swords Dance (after Banette has been removed), Yanmega is also a pain (unless I can Destiny Bond it), Alomomola is difficult to break through (one of the reasons I had Leaf Blade on Gallade), and Braviary is a monster after Banette and Rhyperior have been removed. I'm not really sure about anything else.
Anyway, thanks for reading, please let me know what you think!
In depth:
Gallade @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Bulk Up
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade / Fire Punch / Shadow Sneak
Gallade is my favourite Pokemon (of course), and this particular set was what inspired me to create this team. I've tried Swords Dance Gallade and Assault Vest Gallade before, but the problem always was that even though Gallade has good Special Defense, it's Defense really lets it down. However, I knew that Gallade could learn Bulk Up, so I paired it with Substitute, and found it worked really well. The idea is, Gallade comes in on a Burned Physical attacker (courtesy of Banette) or a Taunted wall that relies on Special attacks for damage (such as Amoonguss, also courtesy of Banette), and use Substitute on the switch / weak Special attack. This also has the effect of protecting Gallade from Status. Once the Substitute is up, Gallade begins to Bulk Up, increasing both his Attack and longevity, as it already has good Special Defense. Once Gallade has Bulked Up a couple of times (Substituting again when needed), it begins to rain down Close Combats on any Pokemon that is unlucky enough to be in at the time. Leaf Blade / Fire Punch / Shadow Sneak are for coverage, but as of now, I am unsure which works better. Although it generally does not last the match, Gallade is generally able to KO quite a few of the opponent's Pokemon before going down.
Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Sucker Punch
I've always really like Mega Banette (Prankster Taunt + Destiny Bond is really fun), and when I was thinking of Pokemon that can support Gallade, there seemed to be no excuse not to include it in my team. Taunt and Destiny Bond are pretty standard on Banette, Taunt shuts down walls, whilst Destiny Bond kills Setup Pokemon that are halfway through a sweep. The last two slots are where it gets more interesting. All forms of Gallade really appreciate a burned Physical Attacker, so I included Will-O-Wisp. As for the last move, Sucker Punch enables Banette to revenge kill weakened Pokemon (especially after a Taunt), and does a lot of damage to Jolteon, who for some reason, is often sent in against a predicted Will-O-Wisp. After taking one round of Stealth Rock damage and Burn damage, Jolteon is KO'ed by Sucker Punch, whilst Shadow Sneak, despite having STAB, doesn't do near as much damage. Banette is also a good counter to Doublade, as after Doublade has revenged something, it can come in and Burn it with Will-O-Wisp (if it has not Swords Danced), or take it down with Destiny Bond (if it has Swords Danced).
Escavalier @ Assault Vest
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
- Drill Run
When building a team, I always try to incorporate at least one well-known core in it. I was reading the RU Cores thread, and noticed this core, Escavalier and Aromatisse.
Escavalier is really bulky, even before an Assault Vest, and so can switch in on and punish pretty much any Pokemon that lacks a Fire move. Although I haven't seen it as much recently, Overcoat protects it from Spore, and retaliate (only Grass-types use Spore) with Megahorn. The rest of the moves are pretty self-explanatory, STAB on Iron Head, coverage with Knock Off and Drill Run.
Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 SpDef
Bold Nature
- Protect
- Wish
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy
Forming the second half of this core comes Aromatisse. When fully invested, Aromatisse can pass 202 HP Wishes to my team. The other EV's are there so that Aromatisse can avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Reckless Hi Jump Kick Hitmonlee. Aromatherapy is very beneficial to my team, as most of them don't like being Burned. Apart from that, I don't think this needs very much explanation.
Delphox @ Expert Belt
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Shadow Ball
So far, my team consisted of Physical attackers, so I added Delphox. I really don't like being Choice-locked and Life Orb recoil on top of a Stealth Rock weakness is annoying, so I chose Expert Belt, which complements it's already-good coverage and sometimes fools the opponent into thinking that I'm Scarfed. A Timid nature is used to outspeed other Delphox. That's all that needs explaining, really.
Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
This guy is a boss. Literally no Physical non-Grass or Water move can OHKO him, and he can retaliate back with an incredibly powerful Earthquake. My team has no other forms of hazards (apart from any hazards Xatu bounces back) so I gave him Stealth Rock. Earthquake and Stone Edge are standard on any Rhyperior, and Fire Punch lets it OHKO Escavalier / any other Fire-weak Pokemon. Before I included this guy, my team was very Braviary-weak, now I can't wait until it comes in (provided Rhyperior is still around). That's all I can think of at the moment.
Xatu @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def
Calm Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Roost
Yes, I know that Cresselia is generally better for Dual Screens, but Xatu currently has an important niche. RU is currently suspecting Shuckle (Sticky Web teams), and so I needed a counter if I was going to make any progress up the ladder. Bouncing back Sticky Web against teams that rely on it has won me games, as Sticky Web teams fall apart unless Sticky Web is on the opponent's side of the field. Apart from that, Dual Screens works really well, especially coming off base 95 Speed, and it can also do some damage with STAB Psychic.
The Dilemna
Once Sticky Web became so popular in RU, I knew I had to fit Xatu on my team. I swapped out Aromatisse, as I don't want too many support Pokemon, and I found I wasn't using it as much anyway. However, I am having lots of fun using Xatu, and am not sure whether I should keep it or swap Aromatisse back in once Shuckle is finally banned. That's the main reason I made this RMT, so I could get a professional opinion. So, I'd like to know whether I should keep Aromatisse or Xatu after the suspect has finished.
Checks/Counters
Unfortunately, I'm kind of bad at coming up with examples, but after numerous tests I've found that Doublade, Yanmega, Alomomola, and Braviary are the biggest threats. Doublade can destroy my team after a Swords Dance (after Banette has been removed), Yanmega is also a pain (unless I can Destiny Bond it), Alomomola is difficult to break through (one of the reasons I had Leaf Blade on Gallade), and Braviary is a monster after Banette and Rhyperior have been removed. I'm not really sure about anything else.
Anyway, thanks for reading, please let me know what you think!
Escavalier @ Assault Vest
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
- Drill Run
Gallade @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Bulk Up
- Close Combat
- Fire Punch
Delphox @ Expert Belt
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Shadow Ball
Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 SpDef
Bold Nature
- Protect
- Wish
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy
Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Sucker Punch
Xatu @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def
Calm Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Roost
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
- Drill Run
Gallade @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Bulk Up
- Close Combat
- Fire Punch
Delphox @ Expert Belt
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Shadow Ball
Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 SpDef
Bold Nature
- Protect
- Wish
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy
Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Sucker Punch
Xatu @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def
Calm Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Psychic
- Roost
Last edited:
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