Hey guys, here's a team I've been playing with and developing for a while, and I've had some success with it, but I was wondering what I could do to improve the team.
At a Glance:
Through the Microscope:
Nidoqueen (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SDef / 8 Def
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave
- Roar
The current lead I'm using. I'm pretty fond of using defensive leads that can setup SR, and my favorite in my old teams was Jirachi. However, I gave Skarmory a try and liked the phazing element it brought to the team, but didn't enjoy how hindered I was offensively. After that, I tried Heatran, and it ended up filling a similar role, but for some reason I started doing a lot better when I switched to Nidoqueen. Nidoqueen seems odd when an option like Heatran is available, but I like the added Fairy resistance, and being able to resist rock and fighting is definitely welcome. Stealth Rock because my team needs the accumulated damage, Earth Power and Sludge Wave for coverage, and Roar to stop any scary setup threats before they get too big.
EV's are setup to be more specially defensive, although I've considered switching them to physically defensive, as I find myself wanting to switch in Nidoqueen on more physical threats than special ones. As for synergy, a lot of pokemon that wreck Nidoqueen like Excadrill, Dragonite and various psychic types are easily setup on by the likes of Scrafty or can be taken out with one of my two revenge killers, usually resulting in a favorable situation for me if someone puts too much effort into taking this poke out.
Scrafty @ Leftovers
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- High Jump Kick
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
This is the offensive pokemon that my team is centered around. Originally, I just used Mega Heracross with four attacking moves, but I found that I needed spin support too much on the team I had, meaning I had to find a sweeper that could replace the power of Mega Heracross. I considered Lucario, but then I remembered about the forgotten sweeper Scrafty. With a respectable base attack and two very strong offensive STABs, this set really only needs 1 DD and a tiny bit of accumulated damage to end a battle on its own.
High Jump Kick is the preferred fighting move, as I usually only have time for 1 DD before I have to start attacking, so the extra damage is definitely a need. Crunch is for STAB and coverage, and Ice Punch is my choice to deal with the popular switchins Gliscor and Dragonite. Gliscor is cleanly 2HKO'd while unable to do anything back, and Dragonite is OHKO'd after 1 DD and SR.
EV spread is pretty self explanatory. Scrafty has an easy time setting up on things that look like trouble for other members of the team. After a burn, Excadrill is setup fodder no matter what set it runs, and usually any defensive wall such as Ferrothorn or Rotom is also fairly easy to set up on. The lack of recovery can sometimes be a problem, but I choose to run leftovers instead of life orb in order to give this set some more longevity, seeing as how it's the most important pokemon on my team. Talonflame, Togekiss, Sylveon and Clefable can give Scrafty trouble, but the former two are handled by Rotom and Nidoqueen respectively, while the latter can be handled by Nidoqueen or Talonflame.
Blastoise (F) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
I feel weird about using this pokemon. Sometimes, it's a great boon with Rapid Spin support and the extent to which it can dent an opposing team. Other times, it ends up being setup fodder without even a chance to use Rapid Spin or even attack. That being said, I feel like when it ends up dying doing little, the rest of my team will breathe easy, because the things that bring down Blastoise are usually pokemon I have no trouble dealing with. Blastoise does a surprisingly large amount of damage, which I'm still trying to get used to. I never really expect a whole lot of damage when it's unboosted, so it's always great seeing OHKO's with Scald.
EV's are setup to emphasize bulk and damage output. The name of the game for me is a balanced offensive, and Blastoise can take hits and deal them out as well. Dark Pulse and Aura Sphere along with Scald make sure I'm never at a loss for what move to use, although Azumarill does completely wall this set and can 2HKO with Play Rough. All in all, the Rapid Spin support Blastoise provides this team is invaluable given the amount of switching I like to employ when I battle.
Most of the things Blastoise is really worried about like Venusaur, Azumarill and Jolteon are fairly simple to deal with for my team: Venusaur can't stand up to Talonflame or Nidoqueen, while Azumarill gets burned by Rotom-W, neutering it heavily. Jolteon is a bit trickier to deal with, but most are outsped and OHKO'd by Garchomp.
Garchomp (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Outrage
- Poison Jab
The original iteration of this team was working fine until I went up against a Charizard. It swept through my entire team and I had no answers at all. I looked for a counter that could outspeed Charizard after one DD, and I found a perfect fit. Garchomp is a really powerful revenge killer, filling my needs as a Scarfer perfectly. It features the staple EdgeQuake combo, with Outrage for STAB. Poison Jab is chosen as the last slot because Fire Blast wouldn't have nearly enough damage to be worth using and the ability to hit fairy types like Azumarill or Sylveon as the game draws on is appreciated.
Defensively, Garchomp provides a nice Electric immunity, which Talonflame and Blastoise definitely appreciate. I have a tough time switching in Garchomp on moves because I'm worried about losing it to early, but using it as a pure revenge killer always forces some kind of pressure on to the opposing side. The reasoning behind the EV's is obvious. This is a really standard set that performs exactly as advertised: A speedy revenge killer with a lot of offensive coverage and powerful damage output.
Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest
My team's other defensive pivot. Rotom-W gives a lot of control in a battle thanks to Volt Switch. Used properly, the momentum can always be in your hand. I like switching in Rotom very early in a battle, and using it to respond to threats as they come out. I sometimes feel a little underwhelmed by the Rest/Chesto combo because I hardly ever get to use it, as I either need to use a different move or get 2HKO'd regardless. Considering the switch to Leftovers to give myself more passive recovery rather than a free heal. In that case I'd need suggestions for a last moveslot.
There's not a whole lot to say about Rotom's defensive power. It's really good and should be abused as much as possible. Earthquake immunity is great for Nidoqueen, and having good defensive typing in general means I can switch it in on a lot of threats and force them out. I use WoW and a physically defensive EV spread because Rotom functions as a pokemon that shuts down physical sweepers. Usually a shut down physical sweeper can become setup fodder for Scrafty. I don't think a switch to Specially Defensive Rotom would be the best choice because of the way I use it, but if a better option is available, I would like some suggestions. Oftentimes I find myself mainly using Rotom to force enough switches to where they make a mistake and Scrafty is able to set up.
Rotom does its job very well, countering a lot of the things that give the rest of my team trouble like Scizor, Azumarill, Talonflame and Garchomp. When something comes in that can ruin Rotom like a Venusaur or Ferrothorn, it can be ruined by Talonflame. Excadrill, a somewhat common offensive threat to Rotom can be checked by Blastoise, Garchomp and Scrafty.
Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Tailwind
This pokemon is the only one along with Rotom to survive through every iteration of this team, and for good reason. It's an amazing revenge killer with its priority STAB Brave Bird, and I can use it as a pivot if I'm unsure of my next move with U-turn. Flare Blitz is to provide secondary STAB and coverage, but most of the time it's all about spamming priority Brave Bird on whatever doesn't resist it to inflict significant amounts of damage.
One of the hardest things about using this pokemon in the past, especially given my style of play with heavy switching, was my inability to get rid of Stealth Rocks. Now, with Blastoise added to my team, Talonflame can function as a secondary sweeper, able to annihilate large portions of the metagame, or just wear down threats that the rest of my team has a bit of trouble dealing with. EV's are pretty obvious like the rest of my team, Choice Band is there as well for a pretty obvious reason.
The odd thing in this set is obviously Tailwind. It's mainly a relic from when I used Mega Heracross as my sweeper, because I could sacrifice the life of Talonflame to give Heracross 3 turns with doubled speed to do its thing. Now that Scrafty uses up a turn of its own to setup, I don't know if it's the best option anymore. In theory, Scrafty could sweep with Moxie and Tailwind, but it doesn't seem as strong as the synergy with Heracross was. Tailwind was never a large part of the movepool, as the other 3 moves already give me more than I could ever ask for with this pokemon.
The synergy with Talonflame and the rest of my team is pretty apparent. Scrafty and Blastoise don't like Breloom, Breloom hates Talonflame. Sometimes I'm troubled by Ferrothorn or Scizor, and Talonflame handles them great. Many sweepers can be cleaned up by Talonflame if they're using a Life Orb or have been taking damage over the course of the battle due to just how much sheer damage Talonflame has. Defensively, Rotom-W can be handled by Scrafty, although WoW can pose a problem at times. Hippowdon, Slowbro and Tyranitar are all handled by Rotom-W, and if Talonflame is low enough to be taken out by ExtremeSpeed, Lucario can be checked by Scrafty, Nidoqueen and Garchomp.
Frequently Asked Questions about the team:
Scrafty and Nidoqueen are pretty outclassed in OU, why are you using them?
Nidoqueen, while not being the best possible choice, has access to Roar and SR. My team requires both to function well, and other pokemon simply don't offer as much special bulk as Nidoqueen. I have used other pokemon in the past, and none were as good as Nidoqueen. Mew has 4 moveslot syndrome, Skarmory forces me to change Rotom (my only counter to Azumarill) to specially defensive. Jirachi doesn't have Roar, and Gliscor, while being a good stall breaker most of the time, doesn't provide enough threat unless I want to give it 0 attacking moves (it also forces me to use Sdef rotom). Heatran is a similar pokemon to Nidoqueen that I've tested out, but I feel like it's not as bulky overall as Nidoqueen, and is harder to use. Maybe I should test out Heatran more. I have also tested out Skarmory, but once again, I don't like the specially defensive hole it puts in my team.
Scrafty has a place on the team because of its powerful coverage and the role it plays. People seem to think setup sweepers need to 100-0 every poke in the game and be able to check their own counters, but honestly, Moxie Scrafty is one of the best clean up pokes in the game, due to choicers opting for a damage item rather than a scarf nowadays. After 1 DD, it outspeeds base 110 pokemon, fearing only the likes of Jolteon and Greninja, or other Scarfers, which are fairly rare. My playstyle focuses on forcing a lot of early/midgame switches by utilizing Rotom and Garchomp to defensively and offensively threaten whatever is in play, which puts a lot of residual damage on through SR. Then, if Scrafty can get rolling by setting up on something like Ferrothorn, Gliscor etc. it can really do some damage. I don't have a Mega evo slot on my team to use for a sweeper, and I feel like Scizor's STABs don't give me enough coverage, although using Scizor would make me less susceptible to Azumarill.
Why Scarf vs Band on Chomp?
I need to be able to OHKO Mega Charizard X after 1 DD. Scarf Chomp can do this easily.
Why physically defensive Rotom even though you have WoW?
Azumarill needs to be countered, and I prefer using Rotom as a switch in to a lot of physical sweepers. This way, even boosted it'll be able to take a few hits and burn before it goes down, allowing the rest of my team to easily deal with a threat that could have ended the game.
Final Note:
A common problem my team has is with defensive teams that use defensive setups like Suicune. My team has a hard time bringing enough damage if I can't force switches, making a core like Hippo/Suicune really deadly. In general, my team performs poorly against Balanced Defensive/Stall teams simply because of having a hard time forcing switches.
Thanks for taking a look at my team and please feel free to give me your thoughts on how I could improve the team, as well as any glaring oversights I may have made while building the team. I appreciate any and all rates (:
-Alien
At a Glance:
Through the Microscope:
Nidoqueen (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SDef / 8 Def
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave
- Roar
The current lead I'm using. I'm pretty fond of using defensive leads that can setup SR, and my favorite in my old teams was Jirachi. However, I gave Skarmory a try and liked the phazing element it brought to the team, but didn't enjoy how hindered I was offensively. After that, I tried Heatran, and it ended up filling a similar role, but for some reason I started doing a lot better when I switched to Nidoqueen. Nidoqueen seems odd when an option like Heatran is available, but I like the added Fairy resistance, and being able to resist rock and fighting is definitely welcome. Stealth Rock because my team needs the accumulated damage, Earth Power and Sludge Wave for coverage, and Roar to stop any scary setup threats before they get too big.
EV's are setup to be more specially defensive, although I've considered switching them to physically defensive, as I find myself wanting to switch in Nidoqueen on more physical threats than special ones. As for synergy, a lot of pokemon that wreck Nidoqueen like Excadrill, Dragonite and various psychic types are easily setup on by the likes of Scrafty or can be taken out with one of my two revenge killers, usually resulting in a favorable situation for me if someone puts too much effort into taking this poke out.
Scrafty @ Leftovers
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- High Jump Kick
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
This is the offensive pokemon that my team is centered around. Originally, I just used Mega Heracross with four attacking moves, but I found that I needed spin support too much on the team I had, meaning I had to find a sweeper that could replace the power of Mega Heracross. I considered Lucario, but then I remembered about the forgotten sweeper Scrafty. With a respectable base attack and two very strong offensive STABs, this set really only needs 1 DD and a tiny bit of accumulated damage to end a battle on its own.
High Jump Kick is the preferred fighting move, as I usually only have time for 1 DD before I have to start attacking, so the extra damage is definitely a need. Crunch is for STAB and coverage, and Ice Punch is my choice to deal with the popular switchins Gliscor and Dragonite. Gliscor is cleanly 2HKO'd while unable to do anything back, and Dragonite is OHKO'd after 1 DD and SR.
EV spread is pretty self explanatory. Scrafty has an easy time setting up on things that look like trouble for other members of the team. After a burn, Excadrill is setup fodder no matter what set it runs, and usually any defensive wall such as Ferrothorn or Rotom is also fairly easy to set up on. The lack of recovery can sometimes be a problem, but I choose to run leftovers instead of life orb in order to give this set some more longevity, seeing as how it's the most important pokemon on my team. Talonflame, Togekiss, Sylveon and Clefable can give Scrafty trouble, but the former two are handled by Rotom and Nidoqueen respectively, while the latter can be handled by Nidoqueen or Talonflame.
Blastoise (F) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
I feel weird about using this pokemon. Sometimes, it's a great boon with Rapid Spin support and the extent to which it can dent an opposing team. Other times, it ends up being setup fodder without even a chance to use Rapid Spin or even attack. That being said, I feel like when it ends up dying doing little, the rest of my team will breathe easy, because the things that bring down Blastoise are usually pokemon I have no trouble dealing with. Blastoise does a surprisingly large amount of damage, which I'm still trying to get used to. I never really expect a whole lot of damage when it's unboosted, so it's always great seeing OHKO's with Scald.
EV's are setup to emphasize bulk and damage output. The name of the game for me is a balanced offensive, and Blastoise can take hits and deal them out as well. Dark Pulse and Aura Sphere along with Scald make sure I'm never at a loss for what move to use, although Azumarill does completely wall this set and can 2HKO with Play Rough. All in all, the Rapid Spin support Blastoise provides this team is invaluable given the amount of switching I like to employ when I battle.
Most of the things Blastoise is really worried about like Venusaur, Azumarill and Jolteon are fairly simple to deal with for my team: Venusaur can't stand up to Talonflame or Nidoqueen, while Azumarill gets burned by Rotom-W, neutering it heavily. Jolteon is a bit trickier to deal with, but most are outsped and OHKO'd by Garchomp.
Garchomp (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Outrage
- Poison Jab
The original iteration of this team was working fine until I went up against a Charizard. It swept through my entire team and I had no answers at all. I looked for a counter that could outspeed Charizard after one DD, and I found a perfect fit. Garchomp is a really powerful revenge killer, filling my needs as a Scarfer perfectly. It features the staple EdgeQuake combo, with Outrage for STAB. Poison Jab is chosen as the last slot because Fire Blast wouldn't have nearly enough damage to be worth using and the ability to hit fairy types like Azumarill or Sylveon as the game draws on is appreciated.
Defensively, Garchomp provides a nice Electric immunity, which Talonflame and Blastoise definitely appreciate. I have a tough time switching in Garchomp on moves because I'm worried about losing it to early, but using it as a pure revenge killer always forces some kind of pressure on to the opposing side. The reasoning behind the EV's is obvious. This is a really standard set that performs exactly as advertised: A speedy revenge killer with a lot of offensive coverage and powerful damage output.
Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest
My team's other defensive pivot. Rotom-W gives a lot of control in a battle thanks to Volt Switch. Used properly, the momentum can always be in your hand. I like switching in Rotom very early in a battle, and using it to respond to threats as they come out. I sometimes feel a little underwhelmed by the Rest/Chesto combo because I hardly ever get to use it, as I either need to use a different move or get 2HKO'd regardless. Considering the switch to Leftovers to give myself more passive recovery rather than a free heal. In that case I'd need suggestions for a last moveslot.
There's not a whole lot to say about Rotom's defensive power. It's really good and should be abused as much as possible. Earthquake immunity is great for Nidoqueen, and having good defensive typing in general means I can switch it in on a lot of threats and force them out. I use WoW and a physically defensive EV spread because Rotom functions as a pokemon that shuts down physical sweepers. Usually a shut down physical sweeper can become setup fodder for Scrafty. I don't think a switch to Specially Defensive Rotom would be the best choice because of the way I use it, but if a better option is available, I would like some suggestions. Oftentimes I find myself mainly using Rotom to force enough switches to where they make a mistake and Scrafty is able to set up.
Rotom does its job very well, countering a lot of the things that give the rest of my team trouble like Scizor, Azumarill, Talonflame and Garchomp. When something comes in that can ruin Rotom like a Venusaur or Ferrothorn, it can be ruined by Talonflame. Excadrill, a somewhat common offensive threat to Rotom can be checked by Blastoise, Garchomp and Scrafty.
Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Tailwind
This pokemon is the only one along with Rotom to survive through every iteration of this team, and for good reason. It's an amazing revenge killer with its priority STAB Brave Bird, and I can use it as a pivot if I'm unsure of my next move with U-turn. Flare Blitz is to provide secondary STAB and coverage, but most of the time it's all about spamming priority Brave Bird on whatever doesn't resist it to inflict significant amounts of damage.
One of the hardest things about using this pokemon in the past, especially given my style of play with heavy switching, was my inability to get rid of Stealth Rocks. Now, with Blastoise added to my team, Talonflame can function as a secondary sweeper, able to annihilate large portions of the metagame, or just wear down threats that the rest of my team has a bit of trouble dealing with. EV's are pretty obvious like the rest of my team, Choice Band is there as well for a pretty obvious reason.
The odd thing in this set is obviously Tailwind. It's mainly a relic from when I used Mega Heracross as my sweeper, because I could sacrifice the life of Talonflame to give Heracross 3 turns with doubled speed to do its thing. Now that Scrafty uses up a turn of its own to setup, I don't know if it's the best option anymore. In theory, Scrafty could sweep with Moxie and Tailwind, but it doesn't seem as strong as the synergy with Heracross was. Tailwind was never a large part of the movepool, as the other 3 moves already give me more than I could ever ask for with this pokemon.
The synergy with Talonflame and the rest of my team is pretty apparent. Scrafty and Blastoise don't like Breloom, Breloom hates Talonflame. Sometimes I'm troubled by Ferrothorn or Scizor, and Talonflame handles them great. Many sweepers can be cleaned up by Talonflame if they're using a Life Orb or have been taking damage over the course of the battle due to just how much sheer damage Talonflame has. Defensively, Rotom-W can be handled by Scrafty, although WoW can pose a problem at times. Hippowdon, Slowbro and Tyranitar are all handled by Rotom-W, and if Talonflame is low enough to be taken out by ExtremeSpeed, Lucario can be checked by Scrafty, Nidoqueen and Garchomp.
Frequently Asked Questions about the team:
Scrafty and Nidoqueen are pretty outclassed in OU, why are you using them?
Nidoqueen, while not being the best possible choice, has access to Roar and SR. My team requires both to function well, and other pokemon simply don't offer as much special bulk as Nidoqueen. I have used other pokemon in the past, and none were as good as Nidoqueen. Mew has 4 moveslot syndrome, Skarmory forces me to change Rotom (my only counter to Azumarill) to specially defensive. Jirachi doesn't have Roar, and Gliscor, while being a good stall breaker most of the time, doesn't provide enough threat unless I want to give it 0 attacking moves (it also forces me to use Sdef rotom). Heatran is a similar pokemon to Nidoqueen that I've tested out, but I feel like it's not as bulky overall as Nidoqueen, and is harder to use. Maybe I should test out Heatran more. I have also tested out Skarmory, but once again, I don't like the specially defensive hole it puts in my team.
Scrafty has a place on the team because of its powerful coverage and the role it plays. People seem to think setup sweepers need to 100-0 every poke in the game and be able to check their own counters, but honestly, Moxie Scrafty is one of the best clean up pokes in the game, due to choicers opting for a damage item rather than a scarf nowadays. After 1 DD, it outspeeds base 110 pokemon, fearing only the likes of Jolteon and Greninja, or other Scarfers, which are fairly rare. My playstyle focuses on forcing a lot of early/midgame switches by utilizing Rotom and Garchomp to defensively and offensively threaten whatever is in play, which puts a lot of residual damage on through SR. Then, if Scrafty can get rolling by setting up on something like Ferrothorn, Gliscor etc. it can really do some damage. I don't have a Mega evo slot on my team to use for a sweeper, and I feel like Scizor's STABs don't give me enough coverage, although using Scizor would make me less susceptible to Azumarill.
Why Scarf vs Band on Chomp?
I need to be able to OHKO Mega Charizard X after 1 DD. Scarf Chomp can do this easily.
Why physically defensive Rotom even though you have WoW?
Azumarill needs to be countered, and I prefer using Rotom as a switch in to a lot of physical sweepers. This way, even boosted it'll be able to take a few hits and burn before it goes down, allowing the rest of my team to easily deal with a threat that could have ended the game.
Final Note:
A common problem my team has is with defensive teams that use defensive setups like Suicune. My team has a hard time bringing enough damage if I can't force switches, making a core like Hippo/Suicune really deadly. In general, my team performs poorly against Balanced Defensive/Stall teams simply because of having a hard time forcing switches.
Thanks for taking a look at my team and please feel free to give me your thoughts on how I could improve the team, as well as any glaring oversights I may have made while building the team. I appreciate any and all rates (:
-Alien
