So here I have an interesting team with some strange EV spreads and movepools that I would like to share and improve upon, though keeping the current formula would be nice. Here it is:
Breloom (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Mach Punch
- Bullet Seed
- Spore
- Swords Dance
A mid-to-late game sweeper or perhaps even a crippler if it can't touch the opponent's Pokémon, Breloom is one of the best Pokémon in the metagame. I can use Spore to cripple one Pokémon at a time, and if I get the prediction just right, I can remove a major threat. Bullet Seed and Mach Punch are dual stab moves that take advantage of Technician, and Mach Punch gets through faster things. Focus Sash to ensure I live a turn if I don't outspeed, and Swords Dance over Rock Tomb because I get way more sweeps with it this way.
Heatran (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Ancient Power
This Heatran set comes in great handy and surprises a great deal of people. Heatran as a special attacker is not uncommon, but they generally have Choice Scarf. However, I prefer Air Balloon because it lets me switch into ground attacks for a while, and even makes an opponent waste a turn to break it. I run speed EVs to ensure I outspeed some things I wouldn't otherwise, like bulky Landorus-T or bulky Garchomp. Other Heatrans are generally outsped as well, which is quite nice for hitting them with Earth Power and dealing most of their health (or all if they don't run specially defensive). My only real grievance with this set is not having Hidden Power-Ice, but I don't know which move to replace. Fire Blast and Earth Power are pretty necessary, so it's one of the other two. However, Flash Cannon is a strong secondary STAB option, while I need Ancientpower to hit Rotom-Wash or Charizard-Mega-Y (and Heatran is my usual switch-in to Charizard if it hasn't revealed itself as Mega-X). Let me know which of the two I should lose.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Wish
- Protect
- Psyshock
The special tank and cleric of my team, Jirachi is a pain to KO. With 100 base HP and Sp.Def, it just refuses to die to special attacks, and can even take a couple physical attacks if they're not super-effective (I'm looking at you, Earthquake). Wish and Protect just extend its longevity, and can heal my teammates to extend theirs. Naturally, it's also my main pivot because it can cause the rest of my team to be fully healed when they switch into a Wish it set up. Psyshock ensures that I'm not complete Taunt-bait. Toxic is the wildcard, and since I couldn't think of anything better to do with it, I just decided to stall things out with my insane durability. Let me know if you can think of a better move to fill the spot.
Keldeo @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind
Keldeo is a solid revenge killer, and can even sweep late-game when the opponent's team has been weakened. Hydro Pump and Secret Sword are my main and secondary STAB attacks, respectively. Icy Wind is because Keldeo can't learn Ice Beam, and the drop in 5 power for a drop in the opponent's speed stat is a trade-off I'm willing to make, which is why I use it instead of Hidden Power-Ice. Scald is my wildcard move, since I couldn't think of anything else, but it's nice to have a higher-accuracy Water-type move when I don't need so much power, and the burn chance is quite helpful at crippling certain walls and sweepers.
Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Defog
The main physical wall of my team and the hazard support. I like to use it mid-to-late game when the opponent has nothing left to set hazards with. I clear out any that they set up earlier and bring in my own. With its natural bulk, it can still tank several hits without defense EVs, so I instead gave it attack EVs to jack up its damage output to ridiculous amounts. The movepool and ability are pretty standard, and I went with Leftovers over Rocky Helmet because I use Brave Bird. I picked Brave Bird over Whirlwind because I didn't want to be complete Taunt-bait, and because it hits really hard with those attack investments.
Lopunny (F) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Frustration
- Thunder Punch
The most potent sweeper on my team, Lopunny is just a killer. I like to send it in if I see a Thunderwave incoming (considering I haven't mega evolved yet). It has completely insane damage output, and a movepool that covers many types. I chose Thunderpunch as my wildcard because it enables me to hit everything at least neutrally, and because I had a Fire-type move and Ice-type move on my other Pokémon. Plus, people don't see it coming and make bad switches because of it. I use High Jump Kick over Drain Punch because I prefer to do ridiculous damage over increasing my longevity. Besides, I can predict a protect well enough that I will not use High Jump Kick on that, so I only hurt myself when I miss, which isn't too often. Also, it pretty much outspeeds and OHKOs everything, so once again, longevity is not as important. I use Frustration over Return in case I run into a rouge Ditto.
So I only have 4 real concerns with this team, and if you guys can fix them, the rest should be minor adjustments. Anyway, what I need fixed are as follows: Heatran needs to lose either Flash Cannon or Ancientpower for Hidden Power-Ice, I need a better move for Jirachi's last move than Toxic, I need a good way to deal with Landorus-T, and all of my Pokémon work well mid-to-late game, so I need a better option for early game.
Thanks for the help!
Breloom (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Mach Punch
- Bullet Seed
- Spore
- Swords Dance
A mid-to-late game sweeper or perhaps even a crippler if it can't touch the opponent's Pokémon, Breloom is one of the best Pokémon in the metagame. I can use Spore to cripple one Pokémon at a time, and if I get the prediction just right, I can remove a major threat. Bullet Seed and Mach Punch are dual stab moves that take advantage of Technician, and Mach Punch gets through faster things. Focus Sash to ensure I live a turn if I don't outspeed, and Swords Dance over Rock Tomb because I get way more sweeps with it this way.
Heatran (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Ancient Power
This Heatran set comes in great handy and surprises a great deal of people. Heatran as a special attacker is not uncommon, but they generally have Choice Scarf. However, I prefer Air Balloon because it lets me switch into ground attacks for a while, and even makes an opponent waste a turn to break it. I run speed EVs to ensure I outspeed some things I wouldn't otherwise, like bulky Landorus-T or bulky Garchomp. Other Heatrans are generally outsped as well, which is quite nice for hitting them with Earth Power and dealing most of their health (or all if they don't run specially defensive). My only real grievance with this set is not having Hidden Power-Ice, but I don't know which move to replace. Fire Blast and Earth Power are pretty necessary, so it's one of the other two. However, Flash Cannon is a strong secondary STAB option, while I need Ancientpower to hit Rotom-Wash or Charizard-Mega-Y (and Heatran is my usual switch-in to Charizard if it hasn't revealed itself as Mega-X). Let me know which of the two I should lose.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Wish
- Protect
- Psyshock
The special tank and cleric of my team, Jirachi is a pain to KO. With 100 base HP and Sp.Def, it just refuses to die to special attacks, and can even take a couple physical attacks if they're not super-effective (I'm looking at you, Earthquake). Wish and Protect just extend its longevity, and can heal my teammates to extend theirs. Naturally, it's also my main pivot because it can cause the rest of my team to be fully healed when they switch into a Wish it set up. Psyshock ensures that I'm not complete Taunt-bait. Toxic is the wildcard, and since I couldn't think of anything better to do with it, I just decided to stall things out with my insane durability. Let me know if you can think of a better move to fill the spot.
Keldeo @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind
Keldeo is a solid revenge killer, and can even sweep late-game when the opponent's team has been weakened. Hydro Pump and Secret Sword are my main and secondary STAB attacks, respectively. Icy Wind is because Keldeo can't learn Ice Beam, and the drop in 5 power for a drop in the opponent's speed stat is a trade-off I'm willing to make, which is why I use it instead of Hidden Power-Ice. Scald is my wildcard move, since I couldn't think of anything else, but it's nice to have a higher-accuracy Water-type move when I don't need so much power, and the burn chance is quite helpful at crippling certain walls and sweepers.
Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Defog
The main physical wall of my team and the hazard support. I like to use it mid-to-late game when the opponent has nothing left to set hazards with. I clear out any that they set up earlier and bring in my own. With its natural bulk, it can still tank several hits without defense EVs, so I instead gave it attack EVs to jack up its damage output to ridiculous amounts. The movepool and ability are pretty standard, and I went with Leftovers over Rocky Helmet because I use Brave Bird. I picked Brave Bird over Whirlwind because I didn't want to be complete Taunt-bait, and because it hits really hard with those attack investments.
Lopunny (F) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Frustration
- Thunder Punch
The most potent sweeper on my team, Lopunny is just a killer. I like to send it in if I see a Thunderwave incoming (considering I haven't mega evolved yet). It has completely insane damage output, and a movepool that covers many types. I chose Thunderpunch as my wildcard because it enables me to hit everything at least neutrally, and because I had a Fire-type move and Ice-type move on my other Pokémon. Plus, people don't see it coming and make bad switches because of it. I use High Jump Kick over Drain Punch because I prefer to do ridiculous damage over increasing my longevity. Besides, I can predict a protect well enough that I will not use High Jump Kick on that, so I only hurt myself when I miss, which isn't too often. Also, it pretty much outspeeds and OHKOs everything, so once again, longevity is not as important. I use Frustration over Return in case I run into a rouge Ditto.
So I only have 4 real concerns with this team, and if you guys can fix them, the rest should be minor adjustments. Anyway, what I need fixed are as follows: Heatran needs to lose either Flash Cannon or Ancientpower for Hidden Power-Ice, I need a better move for Jirachi's last move than Toxic, I need a good way to deal with Landorus-T, and all of my Pokémon work well mid-to-late game, so I need a better option for early game.
Thanks for the help!
