My current online team which hasn't been doing too shabby at the moment but would like some suggestions for improvements.
Play style
usual lead is either tornadus to scout their lead or ferrorthorn to get hazards up as soon as possible before switching into my defensive core of goodra or suicune depending on the threats physical or special orientation, resulting in either the free opportunity to calm mind with suicune or rack up some stealth rock damage with goodra
Mega metagross is brought in as my main heavy hitter and to deal with dragon types especially with heracross being saved until the team is weakened, any talonflame are KO'd to sweep the remainders.
Team building process
started out around Heracross and Suicune as a fast physical attacker and a defensive status eater. Added in Ferrorthorn to provide hazard support against my OU arch-nemesis talonflame.
From there chose mega-metagross as my mega as mega slowbro hasn't got much of a place on a Crocune team and my experience with it in game made me want to try it out, it hasn't let me down too bad this time.
Lastly I needed some special or at least mixed attackers to balance out my so far physically offensive team, Tornadus was added due to my love of the combination of the ability regenerator and U-turn to give my team a bit more momentum. Goodra was added lastly to act as a special tank able to shrug off most special attacks and rack up stealth rock damage.
Ferrothorn @ Occa Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
My lone setter of hazzards and main check to grass and fairy types. Occa berry is carried over leftovers to prevent it getting OHKO'd from unexpected hidden power fire's or flamethrower clefable allowing it to be preserved for later in the game. minimum speed to maximise gyro ball damage as well as mixed EV's to provide both physical and special bulk compared to my other specialised defensive 'mons. Gyro ball and power whip provide good coverage against most types (except fire which it won't be sticking around against). Leach seed added for some recovery and to provide damage against more bulky opponents/encourage switches
Heracross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Guts
EVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 248 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
my main late game physical sweeper with neutral coverage against all pokemon and choice scarf to outspeed most of the unspeeded meta except mega alakazam, mega aerodactyl, accelgor and ninjask.
STAB close combat with heracross's very high attack stat and speed provide very good wall breaking ability. Megahorn run as a secondary STAB if the opponent has ghost or psychic types remaning. stealth rock is the most reliable spam move with the added ability potential to flinch.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Current physical wall with semi-reliable recovery calm mind used to boost the power of scald and to raise the relatively lower spDef to provide a very good mixed wall, rest sleep talk combo to provide a cure for toxic and to recover HP as suicune is usually there to stay once it begins boosting, with sleep talk providing a opportunity to continue boosting and attacking while resting.
Scald provides a very good stab move dealing decent damage against most pokemon after a few calm mind boosts and the additional chance to burn to further cripple opposing physical attackers.
Goodra @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 168 HP / 56 Atk / 96 Def / 76 SpA / 112 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Flamethrower
- Power Whip
- Sludge Bomb
My special tank which shrugs of most special attackers (except those pixilate boosted) with some EV investment to allow coverage moves to deal respectable damage. Assault vest is carried to boost Goodra's already massive special bulk. Sap sipper is run and is useful when coming up against leech seed and mega-venasaur to provide a free switch in.
Dragon tail is run to rack up stealth rock damage and to switch out boosting pokemon/ those who attempt to switch in on goodra. Power whip is brought in to deal damage against rotom-wash and other bulky water types, sludge bomb is carried to provide a chance to poison which is particularly useful against threats such as mega slowbro to put a time limit on it.
However Goodra is my Current weakest team member so is easily substituted for another pokemon
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Punch
- Zen Headbutt
- Meteor Mash
- Hammer Arm
Current mega and strongest physical attacker thanks to it's tremendous Atk, tough claw boost and decent bulk. when combined with heracross provides a good pairing against each others threats due to their resistances being almost opposites (except fire... boo!)
Hammer arm is carried over earthquake to hit ballooned heatran and ferrorthorn for super effective damage as well as dark types such as bisharp and tyranitar. Ice punch is carried as my main check to dragon types thanks to the eternal threats of the lati twins and mega-alataria as well as providing a way to hit back against gliscor and landorous. metor mash is run as a very powerful move thanks to both STAB and tough claw boost (as well as chance to boost attack) giving it excellent wall breaking ability and destroys fairy types. Zen headbutt is carried mainly for gengar and fighting types as well as mega-venasaur.
Tornadus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 136 HP / 156 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Heat Wave
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Introduced to provide a bit of momentum to the team and to provide a useful scout with regenarator, assault vest is carried to improve bulk as well as speed investment allowing it to outspeed 350 speed threats such as metagross.
U-turn is carried to get damage off and heal with regenerator and provide some much needed momentum to a team with many specialised pokemon, hurricane is carried as STAB of choice to deal with fighting types such as conkeldurr which is otherwise a major threat as well as grass types. Heat wave is carried as a way to deal huge damage against scizor and ferrorthorn who go relatively unchecked on my team and to provide a more relaible attack. Knock off is carried as more of a utility move and to deal with psychic and ghsot types due to many of my 'mons having few moves who can hit them super effectively.
Threats
Landorous- As it is with many people landorous is a major threat to my team with intimidate crippling my physical attackers and ice punch being the main move I carry to deal with it
Mega-sableye- mainly a threat to metagross but if given time to set up others as well thanks to magic bounce and low speed crippling ferrorthorn and beating suicune if given time to calm mind before it has chance to.
Conkeldur- A earthquake from this can seriously hurt metagross as well as tear through ferrorthorn as well as stone edge and knock off wiping out tornadus. The guts assault vest variation is trouble for suicune as well as the burn chance makes it more of a threat and rain punch sapping health as suicune tries to set up.
Mandibuzz- more of a annoyance really as defog and foul play throw a spanner into parts of my strategy combined with it's bulk and roost make it troublesome for me to deal with sometimes
Talonflame- this bird has been the bane of my competitive attempts as with decent support the sword dance variety can sweep my whole team, as well as the standard kind completely shutting down heracross with gale wings
Spikes and sticky web as most of my team either resist stealth rock or can shrug off the damage with regenerator it isn't too much of a threat but layers of spikes deal significant damage due to my lack of rapid spin or defogger limiting my switches. Sticky web also severely reduces the usability of heracross, tornadous massively as well as metagross to a lesser degree
My lack of taunt and suicune's weakness to it.
Any suggestions for improvements or substitutes (particularly for goodra) are greatly appreciated
Thanks (sorry for the long post)
Play style
usual lead is either tornadus to scout their lead or ferrorthorn to get hazards up as soon as possible before switching into my defensive core of goodra or suicune depending on the threats physical or special orientation, resulting in either the free opportunity to calm mind with suicune or rack up some stealth rock damage with goodra
Mega metagross is brought in as my main heavy hitter and to deal with dragon types especially with heracross being saved until the team is weakened, any talonflame are KO'd to sweep the remainders.
Team building process
started out around Heracross and Suicune as a fast physical attacker and a defensive status eater. Added in Ferrorthorn to provide hazard support against my OU arch-nemesis talonflame.
From there chose mega-metagross as my mega as mega slowbro hasn't got much of a place on a Crocune team and my experience with it in game made me want to try it out, it hasn't let me down too bad this time.
Lastly I needed some special or at least mixed attackers to balance out my so far physically offensive team, Tornadus was added due to my love of the combination of the ability regenerator and U-turn to give my team a bit more momentum. Goodra was added lastly to act as a special tank able to shrug off most special attacks and rack up stealth rock damage.
Ferrothorn @ Occa Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
My lone setter of hazzards and main check to grass and fairy types. Occa berry is carried over leftovers to prevent it getting OHKO'd from unexpected hidden power fire's or flamethrower clefable allowing it to be preserved for later in the game. minimum speed to maximise gyro ball damage as well as mixed EV's to provide both physical and special bulk compared to my other specialised defensive 'mons. Gyro ball and power whip provide good coverage against most types (except fire which it won't be sticking around against). Leach seed added for some recovery and to provide damage against more bulky opponents/encourage switches
Heracross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Guts
EVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 248 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
my main late game physical sweeper with neutral coverage against all pokemon and choice scarf to outspeed most of the unspeeded meta except mega alakazam, mega aerodactyl, accelgor and ninjask.
STAB close combat with heracross's very high attack stat and speed provide very good wall breaking ability. Megahorn run as a secondary STAB if the opponent has ghost or psychic types remaning. stealth rock is the most reliable spam move with the added ability potential to flinch.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Current physical wall with semi-reliable recovery calm mind used to boost the power of scald and to raise the relatively lower spDef to provide a very good mixed wall, rest sleep talk combo to provide a cure for toxic and to recover HP as suicune is usually there to stay once it begins boosting, with sleep talk providing a opportunity to continue boosting and attacking while resting.
Scald provides a very good stab move dealing decent damage against most pokemon after a few calm mind boosts and the additional chance to burn to further cripple opposing physical attackers.
Goodra @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 168 HP / 56 Atk / 96 Def / 76 SpA / 112 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Flamethrower
- Power Whip
- Sludge Bomb
My special tank which shrugs of most special attackers (except those pixilate boosted) with some EV investment to allow coverage moves to deal respectable damage. Assault vest is carried to boost Goodra's already massive special bulk. Sap sipper is run and is useful when coming up against leech seed and mega-venasaur to provide a free switch in.
Dragon tail is run to rack up stealth rock damage and to switch out boosting pokemon/ those who attempt to switch in on goodra. Power whip is brought in to deal damage against rotom-wash and other bulky water types, sludge bomb is carried to provide a chance to poison which is particularly useful against threats such as mega slowbro to put a time limit on it.
However Goodra is my Current weakest team member so is easily substituted for another pokemon
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Punch
- Zen Headbutt
- Meteor Mash
- Hammer Arm
Current mega and strongest physical attacker thanks to it's tremendous Atk, tough claw boost and decent bulk. when combined with heracross provides a good pairing against each others threats due to their resistances being almost opposites (except fire... boo!)
Hammer arm is carried over earthquake to hit ballooned heatran and ferrorthorn for super effective damage as well as dark types such as bisharp and tyranitar. Ice punch is carried as my main check to dragon types thanks to the eternal threats of the lati twins and mega-alataria as well as providing a way to hit back against gliscor and landorous. metor mash is run as a very powerful move thanks to both STAB and tough claw boost (as well as chance to boost attack) giving it excellent wall breaking ability and destroys fairy types. Zen headbutt is carried mainly for gengar and fighting types as well as mega-venasaur.
Tornadus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 136 HP / 156 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Heat Wave
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Introduced to provide a bit of momentum to the team and to provide a useful scout with regenarator, assault vest is carried to improve bulk as well as speed investment allowing it to outspeed 350 speed threats such as metagross.
U-turn is carried to get damage off and heal with regenerator and provide some much needed momentum to a team with many specialised pokemon, hurricane is carried as STAB of choice to deal with fighting types such as conkeldurr which is otherwise a major threat as well as grass types. Heat wave is carried as a way to deal huge damage against scizor and ferrorthorn who go relatively unchecked on my team and to provide a more relaible attack. Knock off is carried as more of a utility move and to deal with psychic and ghsot types due to many of my 'mons having few moves who can hit them super effectively.
Threats
Spikes and sticky web as most of my team either resist stealth rock or can shrug off the damage with regenerator it isn't too much of a threat but layers of spikes deal significant damage due to my lack of rapid spin or defogger limiting my switches. Sticky web also severely reduces the usability of heracross, tornadous massively as well as metagross to a lesser degree
My lack of taunt and suicune's weakness to it.
Any suggestions for improvements or substitutes (particularly for goodra) are greatly appreciated
Thanks (sorry for the long post)
