XY OU XY OU Balanced Team around Talonflame (currently 1403 on ladder after 2 days)

[mikeypaperstacks]

Hi everyone, I would appreciate some help rounding out my team


1. Talonflame - My goal for this team was to base it around my favourite new pokemon Talonflame. I run an adamant set up with the choice band because I wanted him to clean up 3-4 pokemon who are weakened by the end of the game. Honestly, I only use brave bird, flare blitz and u-turn. 90% of the time I am locked in to brave bird....so to be honest most of the other moves are not very relevant.


Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Will-O-Wisp


2. Magnezone - Immediately, the first thing I knew would give me massive problems was steels. Specifically ferrothorn. With this set, I am able to trap him and kill him so that I can brave bird more freely. Magnezone is also used for manectric, who also gives me a lot of problems on Talonflame. Volt switch also gives a nice method for getting talonflame or others in to put me at an advantage in the match.

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 172 HP / 252 SpA / 84 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt



3. M-Scizor - One thing I knew I wanted was a bulky defogger who walls a lot of things and can give me a nice switch into talonflame after the opponent has already used a move. I obviously need defog for stealth rocks...or Tflame is not useful at all. Scyther's great physical bulk and priority help to weaken enemies for tflame to sweep later on. I often swtich him into azumarill to weaken him for the tflame brave bird later on.

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Defog
- Swords Dance

4. Greninja is my answer to basically anything talonflame cannot destroy - all dragons, waters, bulky fires, etc. I put him on the team because I have 2 great, slow switches into him. He is timid to outspeed most threats so that when it does come time to attack, most of the time greninja goes first and kills whoever hes up against if I get a favorable switch off the u-turn.

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Extrasensory
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam

5. Clefable is my ghetto special wall. It has 160 def to deal with the dragons it has to switch into and it has the sp def to deal with any special threats that I need to swtich into. I run focus blast because my team has 0 answers to bulky normal type pokemon. It is on an air ballon to swtich into garchomp successfully most of the time.

Clefable @ Air Balloon
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Calm Nature
- Flamethrower
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Focus Blast

6. Tyranitar is my answer to other talonflames and hes great vs dragonite. He is a great rock setter, can stop set up pokemon with roar, and walls manectric pretty well. If I ever need someone to take a hit or be sacrificed, I send this guy in. He also has the lum berry to take any burns or sleeps I dont want.

Tyranitar @ Lum Berry
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 56 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roar
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Welp, thats what I'm looking at right now...my goal is to get to at least 1700 points. Any feedback is much appreciated! Sorry for the lack of specifics as I am relatively new to battling on showdown and I do not know the numbers/specifics of who i outspeed, what I survive, etc.

 

[AD impish john]

Nice team this is like a sandstorm team but your t-tar has unnerve why is a useless ability. air balloon clefable really use life orb clefable you don't take any sandstorm or life orb damage. grass knot greninja is not that great anymore so u-turn is a better option. willo-wisp is not the greatest option on a choice banded talon but it makes sense why you use it if you want willo on talon use acrobatic talon with sitrus berry.

 

[mikeypaperstacks]

Thanks for the feedback

I will try out sandstorm on Ttar, I just didn't want Greninja or Talonflame to die too fast to sandstorm

Would acrobatic Talon affect my abiliity to sweep late game? My team relies heavily on him killing 2+ pokemon with banded bravebird so I'm not too sure.

I have air balloon on Clefable to switch into Garchomp. Mega chomp 2HKO's me with eq, so I don't have a way of acutally switching into him. I cannot use my normal u-turn in because many of them can kill scizor

 

[WideTomato]

Hi there, cool team ^^

I think your team is allright, but you have a couple of less optimal options, and ill try to help you fix the team, to maybe eventually reach your goal of 1700 points.

1. Talonflame really does not benefit much from will-oh-wisp as locking into a status move is often a setup oppotunity for some pokemon, and will create a lot of free turn, i would suggest adding tailwind as it has priority and can give a huge boost to your other pokemon, if talonflame is going down anyways.

2. scizor without roost makes poor use of defog, and deffensive investment. i would suggest adding roost over sword dance, as it adds to scizors longevity, meaning is can countinusly defog and and check fairy types.

3. The spread you use for clefable is to avoid the 2hko from lo greninjas hydro pump and lo latios psyshock after leftovers recovery therefore lefties is necessary in order to make decent use of its spread.

that was what i found to be almost necessary, here my further suggestions ^^

A choice scarfed magnezone is often better than the specs veriant, as it can keep momentum with volt switch, while outspeeding key threats such as latios, thundursu, keldeo, adamant talonflame, mega pinsir and a lot other, making it harder to wear down. Magnezone now acts as a pretty reliable flying spam check, while fable already checks dragons, pretty much freeing the last pokeslot, allowing you to use a more beneficial pokemon. I would suggest sr terrakion, which can help you with setting up rocks, and stallbreak with taunt, which can also prevent stuff from setting up rocks, hurting your talonflame. Its also a pretty good heatran checks, which you kinda lacks. Lastly i would run calm mind on clefable, over focus blast as even with se damage focus blast wont do anything to chansey, but calm mind can turn it into setup forder. If you REALLY want to, you can run focus blast over flamethrower, as magnezone can trap the stealtypes it aims to hit.

Sets

Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Tailwind

Magnezone @ Choice scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Defog
- Roost

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Calm Nature
- Flamethrower/Focus Blast
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Calm Mind

Terrakion @ Focus Sash
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge

 

[heritage]

This is just the smallest nitpick, but put the 4 EVs on Talonflame's HP into its Defense stat. You take less damage from Stealth Rocks, as far as I'm aware.

 

[AD impish john]

This is just the smallest nitpick, but put the 4 EVs on Talonflame's HP into its Defense stat. You take less damage from Stealth Rocks, as far as I'm aware.

It actually depends on type. Not on hp and defense.

 

[heritage]

It actually depends on type. Not on hp and defense.

4 HP EVs makes you take 50% from Stealth Rocks, while 4 Def EVs allow two switch-ins.
If you're going to try to correct me at least get your facts straight.
Also, if you're going to make posts, at least give some sort of description.

 

[WideTomato]

It actually depends on type. Not on hp and defense.

LOL, its the waekness to rock that makes you take more or less damage you will take in percentage, 4x resist is 3.125% 2x resist is 6.25%, neutra is 12,5% se is 25% and 4x se is 50%, but the hp as pokemon always round down, the hp will make a different in whether you will take 50 or 49.something, as an example 300 hp with a 4x resist will make you take 150 damage from rocks, however 299 hp will make you take only 149 damage, allowing you to make two switchins, so the hp stat will make a different in how much raw hp damage you take.

 

[mikeypaperstacks]

Hi there, cool team ^^

I think your team is allright, but you have a couple of less optimal options, and ill try to help you fix the team, to maybe eventually reach your goal of 1700 points.

1. Talonflame really does not benefit much from will-oh-wisp as locking into a status move is often a setup oppotunity for some pokemon, and will create a lot of free turn, i would suggest adding tailwind as it has priority and can give a huge boost to your other pokemon, if talonflame is going down anyways.

2. scizor without roost makes poor use of defog, and deffensive investment. i would suggest adding roost over sword dance, as it adds to scizors longevity, meaning is can countinusly defog and and check fairy types.

3. The spread you use for clefable is to avoid the 2hko from lo greninjas hydro pump and lo latios psyshock after leftovers recovery therefore lefties is necessary in order to make decent use of its spread.

that was what i found to be almost necessary, here my further suggestions ^^

A choice scarfed magnezone is often better than the specs veriant, as it can keep momentum with volt switch, while outspeeding key threats such as latios, thundursu, keldeo, adamant talonflame, mega pinsir and a lot other, making it harder to wear down. Magnezone now acts as a pretty reliable flying spam check, while fable already checks dragons, pretty much freeing the last pokeslot, allowing you to use a more beneficial pokemon. I would suggest sr terrakion, which can help you with setting up rocks, and stallbreak with taunt, which can also prevent stuff from setting up rocks, hurting your talonflame. Its also a pretty good heatran checks, which you kinda lacks. Lastly i would run calm mind on clefable, over focus blast as even with se damage focus blast wont do anything to chansey, but calm mind can turn it into setup forder. If you REALLY want to, you can run focus blast over flamethrower, as magnezone can trap the stealtypes it aims to hit.

Sets

Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Tailwind

Magnezone @ Choice scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Defog
- Roost

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Calm Nature
- Flamethrower/Focus Blast
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Calm Mind

Terrakion @ Focus Sash
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge

Thanks alot man I'm gonna try out all of your suggestions