Another question about the same team I needed help wth earlier: Should I run Rapid Spin on my Scarf Excadrill or Defog on Latios? Rapid Spin lets Latios run a healing move, but being locked into it will kill momentum. Since I feel like two hazard removal attacks on the same team is redundant and wastes moveslots, which one should I use? Also, does Scarf Excadrill have any viable moves other than EQ/Rock Slide/Iron Head/Spin?
I'd recommend Defog on Latios, though it probably depends on the rest of the team (need to see it). Latios finds it a bit easier to Defog since it's a bit bulkier, has better typing, and presents a bit more of an offensive threat. With the scarf, Excadrill as you noted eats momentum when it has to spin, but in addition, if a Spinblocker outpredicts and comes in on the spin, you lose momentum and still have hazards. What makes this especially big to me is Mega Sableye: while neither beats him reliably, Latios removes hazards despite Magic Bounce, but Excadrill is blocked and scared out by Wisp, which gives Sableye a chance to heal or to start boosting.
Follow up question for my Mienshao team. I'm debating going Adamant or Jolly for the Scarf set. Are there any important KOs Mienshao would net with Adamant but not Jolly, or relevant Scarfers/boosters it would fail to outspeed? Only immediate concerns I can think of are Garchomp and Speed-Tying Jolly Lando-T, and by extension losing to those creeping it like Adamant DD Zard-X.
Other thing I'm debating are whether to use Manectric or Magnezone for a Voltturn duo. Magnezone obviously is a great trapper, and a slower Volt Switch means fewer hits on Mienshao. That said, I can't quite think of what it traps that Shao needs dealt with badly, besides Skarmory, and then there's the whole "does it have Shed Shell for Magnezone" thing.
So far, I've got
- Scarf Mien
- Scarf/Specs Zone
- M. Gyarados (absorbs Grounnd Pre-Mega for Zone, and Psychic Post for Mienshao, while serving a decent Win-Con once Mienshao punches some holes and Zone eliminates Ferrothorn and Skarmory)
Which leaves me wondering about the rest. If I run offensive, Mega Sableye eats this team for breakfast, but if I shift Gyarados to Sub, I'm not sure how long I can keep him working considering base form's hazard weakness and priority everywhere. So far I'm thinking either Clefable or Sylveon would work, whether as Wish Passer (Sub) or just for Fairy coverage. Clefable would obviously be CM (Magic Guard too?) as a tank/alternate win-con, while Sylveon I'd play as a Wallbreaker with Specs Hyper Voice.
Any thoughts or opinions? Mainly what Gyarados set I should use (Sub or full offense) and which of the Fairies I should use with it.
