~A Trick of the Tail~
Hey, most of you probably don't know who I am but I consider my self a pretty decent competitive battler. One thing that (I hope) makes me stick out from others is the creativity of my teams. A lot of people can make awesome teams with basic, popular cores. It's getting to be really frustrating to see such similar teams over and over, it's getting to the point where the metagame is actually becoming a tad bit stale. To prevent staleness I try not to use any Pokemon that I consider really overused. As you can probably see, my team includes some Pokemon that make a lot of people snicker, and wouldn't even consider using. The team is offensive in nature, and if I'm switching out Pokemon, I'm not in a good position. It took a long time to get used to how Zoroark works and how I can use it, but recently I've been getting pretty good with Zoroark. If you're wondering why I chose the name: I named it after my favorite Genesis album, A Trick of the Tail. I named all of the members after a song in the album, and the names are a link to the songs that they are named after. I thought it fit because of Zoroark. I believe, that with Smogon's help, that I can make this team much better. I have used this team extensively, but it is just shy of being great. On the Smogon Server, this team peaked at about a ranking of 1200, but now hovers around 1100. On the PO server I reached a ranking of 1300 and still hover around that mark. The team building process is kind of long because I did a lot of trial and error processes.
~A Closer Look~
Squonk (Forretress) @ Leftovers
Sturdy
Relaxed (+Def,-Spd)
0 Spd IVs
252 HP/252 SpDef/4 Def
-Spikes
-Stealth Rocks
-Rapid Spin
-Gyro Ball
I was really doubtful of Forretress at first. I've never liked it. But it seems to fit on the team really well. A good rapid spinner is necessary when using Zoroark, or else when you switch into it and it takes damage from Spikes, it completely ruins the Illusion of being a levitating Pokemon/a Flying-type. Forretress is unique in the fact that it can both set up Spikes and Stealth Rocks. In addition to that, it learns Rapid Spin, which I already said was essential. Sturdy is a good ability because it pretty much guarantees a layer of Spikes or Stealth Rocks. Leftovers helps with recovery and can get Forretress back to full health and force the opponent to break Sturdy again. The EVs are so it can take a lot of hits. Physical hits don't do much, and with the 252 SpDef EVs, neither do Special hits. 0 Speed IVs and Relaxed nature are to increase the power of Gyro Ball. Relaxed also boosts Defenses. Stealth Rocks and Spikes are both amazing. If I get the opportunity to lay down both hazards, I am a happy camper. With those 2 moves, Forretress is often the hero of the battle, just wearing down Pokemon that constantly switch back and forth. Rapid Spin is essential for teams with Zoroark, like I said before. And finally, Gyro Ball is great for shutting down Dragon Dancers/Scarfers/Fast Pokemon in general. I don't usually lead with Forretress, most of the time I take an opportunity to get him in Rapid Spin (if there are hazards) and then lay down some Stealth Rocks or Spikes, depending on which affects the other team more. There is 2 issues with Forretress though; His 4x weakness to Fire, a common attacking type, and the fact the a lot of Pokemon can set up on Forretress. Overall, Forretress brings a lot to the team. He's a great Wall, Hazard-Setter, and Rapid-Spinner.
Ripples (Salamence) @ Choice Scarf
Moxie
Adamant (+Att,-SpAtt)
252 Att/252 Spd/4 HP
-Outrage
-Dragon Claw
-Earthquake
-Thunder Fang
Salamence is probably one of the best Choice Scarf users this generation. Most of the time, the other 5 members of the team will wear the opposing team down, and then in comes Salamence to finish the job. Choice Scarf allows Salamence to outspeed a huge portion of the metagame, only select Scarfers can beat Salamence to the punch. Moxie was a godsend for Salamence, if it gets 1 or 2 Moxie boosts, not much can take an Outrage. The EVs are meant to maximize Attack and Speed, just to make sure that nothing can survive an attack and hit back, and to make sure that nothing is fast enough to attack first. I know most Scarf MoxieMences run a Speed-boosting nature, but I don't want the battle to rely on a coin flip because of a speed-tie. Also, Adamant just makes Salamence ridiculously powerful. Outrage is the main attack that it uses. When the opponent has 3 or more Pokemon left, but with low HP, I use Dragon Claw to avoid Confusion. Earthquake is just in case the opponent still has Steel-types waiting to absorb an Outrage, but most of the time Dugtrio takes care of most Steel-types. Thunder Fang is just kind of a filler. I use Salamence to clean up the last few Pokemon that the opponent has, most of the time it is no issue because they are all at low HP. There is 2 big flaws with Salamence, Confusion and being locked into Outrage. I try not to use Outrage unless it is needed, because being Confused can give the opponent the chance to set up and turn the game in their favor, also all they have to do is switch into a Steel-type and I'm screwed. Salamence is probably one of the most solid members of the team, constantly winning games in pinch situations.
Entangled (Rotom-C) @ Choice Scarf
Levitate
Modest (+SpAtt,-Att)
252 SpAtt/252 Spd/4 HP
-Volt-Switch
-Leaf Storm
-Hidden Power [Fire]
-Trick
Ahh, Rotom-C. What an underrated Pokemon. Most people opt for Rotom-C's, bigger, bulkier brother, Rotom-W. However, Rotom-C counters Rotom-W and his partner in crime, Scizor. Rotom-C is also more unpredictable and covers hard to counter threats like Gastrodon and Quagsire. The Choice Scarf pretty much allows Rotom to outspeed anything that isn't Scarfed. Levitate is a great ability because Rotom can come into Earthquakes, and then quickly Volt-Switch back out to provide momentum. I chose an all out attacker EV spread, since the team is offensive, not defensive. In addition to that, Rotom gets hit very seldom. With the Speed EVs Rotom outspeeds a lot, even once the Choice Scarf is tricked away. The Special Attack EVs allow Rotom to hit like a truck. I chose Modest nature over Timid because Rotom-C is already fast, but I felt that it needed to hit as hard as it could. Most of the time, Volt-Switch is used. It can be a double-edged blade because a lot of my team gets 1 hit KO'd when Rotom Volt-Switches to them. If it works out well, Volt-Switch allows for me to offensively pressure the opponent. Leaf Storm is also a double-edged blade, as Rotom can trapped into spamming a move with low accuracy and it lowers Rotom's Special Attack. I pretty much save Leaf Storm for when it is 100% necessary to use. For example: Their last Pokemon is Quagsire, and none of my other Pokemon can hit it very hard. I also use it when I know that I outspeed opposing Rotom-Ws, because I hate those damn things. I use Hidden Power Fire to nail Scizor. I'll try to explain how I beat Scizor 99% of the time. Bullet Punch does low damage, so U-Turn is really their only option. They can switch out, but that is risky because if I use Volt-Switch, then I can just switch out to whatever I want. Most people don't even expect the Hidden Power [Fire], since most Rotom carry Hidden Power [Ice]. They think that they have the upper hand, I have to Volt-Switch out and then they U-Turn into whatever they want. Little do they know. Anyway, I use Trick to beat out stall/wall Pokemon. I also use it when I know that Rotom outspeeds most of their team even without a Scarf. At least that when I can vary up moves. I basically use Rotom to put offensive pressure on the opponent, as well as shut down any offensive cores that they are running, like ScizorWash. I sometimes lead with Rotom, but a lot of people predict that, so most of the time I don't lead with it. As I said before, Rotom is a double-edged blade; if I use Volt-Switch, I often lose the Pokemon that is switched in, and if I use Leaf Storm, I am giving the opponent the chance to set up. Overall, Rotom-C is a good member to the team and can put a dent in common teams.
Trick (Zoroark) @ Leftovers
Illusion
Timid (+Spd,-Att)
252 SpAtt/252 Spd/4 HP
-Substitute
-Nasty Plot
-Dark Pulse
-Focus Blast
Oh man, Zoroark has really grown on me. I love him. He is the star of the team, he can consistently take out 2-3 members from the other team.I gave him Leftovers so he could trick people into thinking he was Forretress, or even Reuniclus. Illusion is a great ability, and it often creates amazing mind games with the opponent. The EVs are an offensive set. I wanted to outspeed as much as possible and 1 hit KO as much as possible. The Timid nature is so that I could outspeed a few extra threats. I usually lead with Zoroark, feigning to be something that scares off their lead. For example, they lead with Conkeldurr, so I pretend to be Reuniclus. When they switch out (which they will most of the time) I set up a Substitute. And then, depending on what they send out, I take action from there. If it is something that doesn't threaten Zoroark, I use Nasty Plot, if it is something that threatens it, then I will either use Dark Pulse or Focus Blast. If the opponent leads with a hazard setter, then I pretend to lead with Forretress and get plenty of free turns for set up. If Zoroark is behind a Substitute and has gotten a Nasty Plot off, it is guaranteed to take down a few Pokemon. Dark Pulse is wonderful STAB that also has a 10% chance to make the opponent Flinch, which sometimes saves the game. With both Dark Pulse and Focus Blast, Zoroark has near perfect coverage. I opted for Dark Pulse over Night Daze because I don't want to miss, even if it is a low chance, it isn't worth the extra 5 Base Power. As I said before, Zoroark is typically my lead, but sometimes I save it for late game sweeping if I notice that they don't have many fast Pokemon. There are 4 issues with Zoroark:
1. If your opponent predicts well, you're screwed, due to the below reasons.
2. It is super frail, it gets 1 hit KO'd by so may things.
3. It lacks about 12 Speed, if it was just a tad bit faster, it could outspeed common threats like Latios and Terrakion.
4. Focus Blast, it misses at crucial times.
Overall, I can't complain, Zoroark is really cool and fun to use. If I use it right, it can net multiple KO's a game. Definitely the star of the team.
Endos (Reuniclus) @ Leftovers
Magic Guard
Bold (+Def,-Att)
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
-Calm Mind
-Recover
-Psychic
-Focus Blast
Reuniclus is great. It can easily put a stop to stall-teams that are unprepared for it. Since Reuniclus is bulky, it helps to have Leftovers so it is constantly gaining HP back. Magic Guard is a wonderful ability, it allows me to turn subseeders or stall Pokemon, which the rest of my team has trouble with, into a set up opportunity. I went for a Defensive EV spread because I know that Calm Mind will allow me to take Special hits, so I wanted to be able to take Physical hits as well. The Bold nature also assists in being able to take Physical hits. I use Calm Mind to set up when I get the chance. Since Reuniclus is a bulky set up Pokemon, I wanted a reliable form of recovery, so I chose Recover as a move. Psychic is the main STAB move. Some people like Psyshock, but the only time that Psyshock is better than Psychic is against opposing Reuniclus. Most Special Walls can't touch Reuniclus, so I don't need Psyshock to immediately dispose of them. Focus Blast deals huge damage to Steel-types like Ferrothorn. I wait for the opponent to send out a stall Pokemon, and then I send out Reuniclus and set up a Calm Mind or 2, from there Reuniclus can take out huge chunks of people's team. There is only 1 issue with Reuniclus,and that is opposing Calm Minders, as I have no way to hit them hard. Overall, Reuniclus is my counter towards stall Pokemon and uses them as a chance to set up. He is an essential member of the team.
Mad (Dugtrio) @ Focus Sash
Arena Trap
Jolly (+Spd,-SpAtt)
252 Spd/252 Att/4 HP
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Sucker Punch
-Shadow Claw
One of my all time favorites. Dugtrio with a Focus Sash is pretty much guaranteed a KO per game. Dugtrio is really frail, so that's why I chose a Focus Sash, so it can at least survive 1 shot. Arena Trap is an amazing ability, it eases prediction and it helps me take out huge threats to the team with no worries of them escaping. Previously, Jirachi and Heatran were both big threats, but with Dugtrio, I can easily take them out. With the current EVs, Dutrio outspeeds the non-Scarfed portion of the metagame. Dugtrio has low Attack, so I put in a ton of Attack EVs so I could put big dents into things. With Jolly, nothing but a Scarfer (or really seldom seen Pokemon) outspeeds Dugtrio. Earthquake is the main STAB move, dealing huge damage to anything that doesn't fly. And since the opponent can't switch into something that is immune to Earthquake, it is spammable. Stone Edge is great to cover Flying-types, but it really sucks when it misses. Sucker Punch is for some Priority, since the rest of my team lacks it. I chose Shadow Claw over Reversal because Reversal doesn't cover many threats, neither does Shadow Claw. However, good opponents realize that I use Sucker Punch and then start setting up, so Shadow Claw prevents that from happening. Dugtrio is mainly used a revenge killer and it traps big threats to the team. When I look at the team preview, I quickly decide which Pokemon to save Dugtrio for. Dugtrio is a good Pokemon, but if the opponent lacks something that Dugtrio is good against, Dugtrio becomes useless. Dugtrio is still a solid member of the team.
~Big Threats~
The biggest threats to my team are Pokemon that can set up. If they get a boost off, I really don't have much to counter them. By far, the single biggest threat is Dragon Dance+Roost Dragonite. I can't immediately switch out to Salamece to counter it because I'm afraid of getting hit with Dragon Claw. Nothing else on my team can hit it for over 50%, so it can just Roost off damage and then Dragon Dance twice, allowing it to outspeed Salamence. Another big problem is me misplaying. My team is very high risk, so a single misplay can make me lose. And it is very easy to misplay with some of the members like Rotom-C and Zoroark.
~Closing Statement~
I hope everybody enjoyed my RMT. Sorry that some of the descriptions were really long. I hope that you professionals at Smogon can help me perfect this team. It is definitely one of the most fun teams that I have played with, despite its flaws.
~Importable~
Hey, most of you probably don't know who I am but I consider my self a pretty decent competitive battler. One thing that (I hope) makes me stick out from others is the creativity of my teams. A lot of people can make awesome teams with basic, popular cores. It's getting to be really frustrating to see such similar teams over and over, it's getting to the point where the metagame is actually becoming a tad bit stale. To prevent staleness I try not to use any Pokemon that I consider really overused. As you can probably see, my team includes some Pokemon that make a lot of people snicker, and wouldn't even consider using. The team is offensive in nature, and if I'm switching out Pokemon, I'm not in a good position. It took a long time to get used to how Zoroark works and how I can use it, but recently I've been getting pretty good with Zoroark. If you're wondering why I chose the name: I named it after my favorite Genesis album, A Trick of the Tail. I named all of the members after a song in the album, and the names are a link to the songs that they are named after. I thought it fit because of Zoroark. I believe, that with Smogon's help, that I can make this team much better. I have used this team extensively, but it is just shy of being great. On the Smogon Server, this team peaked at about a ranking of 1200, but now hovers around 1100. On the PO server I reached a ranking of 1300 and still hover around that mark. The team building process is kind of long because I did a lot of trial and error processes.
~Team Building~
I wanted to start the team off with a reliable spinner, and something to lay down hazards. Usually, I don't like Forretress, but I decided to give it a shot.
This may sound odd, but I like picking a good clean-up Pokemon pretty early in the team building process. Just so I could get a decent idea of what threats I need to get rid of before I can clean up. I've used Scarf Moxie Salamence once before, and I really liked it. So I threw it on the team.
Now that I had 2 pretty basic Pokemon chosen, I needed something that could rack up damage, and provide some offensive momentum to the team. This is where my creativity levels started to kick in. I didn't want to go with something really standard like Rotom-W, and I wanted something that could be a counter to Volt-Turn. So I tried out Rotom-C.
I had a pretty good core that could deal damage, prevent hazards, throw down hazards, and clean up. Now it was time to pick a "star" of the team. After some thought, I decided to go for Zoroark, a pretty underused threat in OU.
Alright, I know that Zoroark needs some really good team support to work properly, because some of the most popular Pokemon in the game can easily defeat Zoroark. So I decided for an Illusion partner, Gengar seemed to be a good choice. They covered each others weaknesses well, and they both could run similar movesets to trick the opponent into thinking Zoroark is Gengar and Gengar is Zoroark.
I also wanted a good revenge killer, and something that could also pair up with Zoroark pretty well. I went for Infernape for some coverage moves and Priority moves.
The team was okay, but it was frail as all could be. I constantly found myself using Volt-Switch with Rotom-C, but then whatever I would switch into would be 1 hit KO'd on the switch. Infernape wasn't really pulling its weight, so I got rid of it for a bulkier Victini.
Okay, Victini did not solve the bulk problems, and I was now missing a reliable revenge killer. Also, I had nothing to even touch Heatran anymore. So, I switched out Victini for Azumarill. It was something that I had used on a Rain team and it worked phenomenally. Even though I would miss the Fire-Coverage, a revenge killer was more important to me. So in came Choice-Band-Aqua-Jet Azumarill.
Azumarill was working out great. It added some bulk to the team, some Priority moves, and amazing attacking capabilities. However, the team was still really frail. Also, it was really weak to some stall teams. So I switched Gengar for Reuniclus. I figured it would add a ton of bulk, a reliable stall breaker, and something that could set up. Welcome to the team, Calm Mind Reuniclus.
Forretress was not doing as well as I thought, and I wanted something that could hit hard. So I switched Forretress for Magnezone. Also, Azumarill was walled by a lot of things and provided set-up opportunities for my opponent. And with this teams lack of bulk, I couldn't afford anything to set up. So I switched Azumarill for one of my favorites, Focus-Sash Dugtrio.
I quickly realized that this was a huge error. Now I had no spinner. Nor did I have a hazard setter. I also got rid of 2 of the 3 Pokemon on my team that could actually take some hits for much frailer Pokemon. So I immediately switched Magnezone back to Forretress. Dugtrio was working very well because hazards would always break his Focus-Sash. So I brought in a bulky Pokemon that could also sweep. Intimidate-Dragon Dance Gyarados.
As soon as the first battle started, I facepalmed. I realized that Dugtrio wasn't working last time because of hazards, but with Forretress back, I could get rid of hazards. Also, I was missing my favorite revenge killer. So I took Gyarados out for Dugtrio. Which brings me to the current version of my team.
This may sound odd, but I like picking a good clean-up Pokemon pretty early in the team building process. Just so I could get a decent idea of what threats I need to get rid of before I can clean up. I've used Scarf Moxie Salamence once before, and I really liked it. So I threw it on the team.
Now that I had 2 pretty basic Pokemon chosen, I needed something that could rack up damage, and provide some offensive momentum to the team. This is where my creativity levels started to kick in. I didn't want to go with something really standard like Rotom-W, and I wanted something that could be a counter to Volt-Turn. So I tried out Rotom-C.
I had a pretty good core that could deal damage, prevent hazards, throw down hazards, and clean up. Now it was time to pick a "star" of the team. After some thought, I decided to go for Zoroark, a pretty underused threat in OU.
Alright, I know that Zoroark needs some really good team support to work properly, because some of the most popular Pokemon in the game can easily defeat Zoroark. So I decided for an Illusion partner, Gengar seemed to be a good choice. They covered each others weaknesses well, and they both could run similar movesets to trick the opponent into thinking Zoroark is Gengar and Gengar is Zoroark.
I also wanted a good revenge killer, and something that could also pair up with Zoroark pretty well. I went for Infernape for some coverage moves and Priority moves.
The team was okay, but it was frail as all could be. I constantly found myself using Volt-Switch with Rotom-C, but then whatever I would switch into would be 1 hit KO'd on the switch. Infernape wasn't really pulling its weight, so I got rid of it for a bulkier Victini.
Okay, Victini did not solve the bulk problems, and I was now missing a reliable revenge killer. Also, I had nothing to even touch Heatran anymore. So, I switched out Victini for Azumarill. It was something that I had used on a Rain team and it worked phenomenally. Even though I would miss the Fire-Coverage, a revenge killer was more important to me. So in came Choice-Band-Aqua-Jet Azumarill.
Azumarill was working out great. It added some bulk to the team, some Priority moves, and amazing attacking capabilities. However, the team was still really frail. Also, it was really weak to some stall teams. So I switched Gengar for Reuniclus. I figured it would add a ton of bulk, a reliable stall breaker, and something that could set up. Welcome to the team, Calm Mind Reuniclus.
Forretress was not doing as well as I thought, and I wanted something that could hit hard. So I switched Forretress for Magnezone. Also, Azumarill was walled by a lot of things and provided set-up opportunities for my opponent. And with this teams lack of bulk, I couldn't afford anything to set up. So I switched Azumarill for one of my favorites, Focus-Sash Dugtrio.
I quickly realized that this was a huge error. Now I had no spinner. Nor did I have a hazard setter. I also got rid of 2 of the 3 Pokemon on my team that could actually take some hits for much frailer Pokemon. So I immediately switched Magnezone back to Forretress. Dugtrio was working very well because hazards would always break his Focus-Sash. So I brought in a bulky Pokemon that could also sweep. Intimidate-Dragon Dance Gyarados.
As soon as the first battle started, I facepalmed. I realized that Dugtrio wasn't working last time because of hazards, but with Forretress back, I could get rid of hazards. Also, I was missing my favorite revenge killer. So I took Gyarados out for Dugtrio. Which brings me to the current version of my team.
~A Closer Look~
Squonk (Forretress) @ Leftovers
Sturdy
Relaxed (+Def,-Spd)
0 Spd IVs
252 HP/252 SpDef/4 Def
-Spikes
-Stealth Rocks
-Rapid Spin
-Gyro Ball
I was really doubtful of Forretress at first. I've never liked it. But it seems to fit on the team really well. A good rapid spinner is necessary when using Zoroark, or else when you switch into it and it takes damage from Spikes, it completely ruins the Illusion of being a levitating Pokemon/a Flying-type. Forretress is unique in the fact that it can both set up Spikes and Stealth Rocks. In addition to that, it learns Rapid Spin, which I already said was essential. Sturdy is a good ability because it pretty much guarantees a layer of Spikes or Stealth Rocks. Leftovers helps with recovery and can get Forretress back to full health and force the opponent to break Sturdy again. The EVs are so it can take a lot of hits. Physical hits don't do much, and with the 252 SpDef EVs, neither do Special hits. 0 Speed IVs and Relaxed nature are to increase the power of Gyro Ball. Relaxed also boosts Defenses. Stealth Rocks and Spikes are both amazing. If I get the opportunity to lay down both hazards, I am a happy camper. With those 2 moves, Forretress is often the hero of the battle, just wearing down Pokemon that constantly switch back and forth. Rapid Spin is essential for teams with Zoroark, like I said before. And finally, Gyro Ball is great for shutting down Dragon Dancers/Scarfers/Fast Pokemon in general. I don't usually lead with Forretress, most of the time I take an opportunity to get him in Rapid Spin (if there are hazards) and then lay down some Stealth Rocks or Spikes, depending on which affects the other team more. There is 2 issues with Forretress though; His 4x weakness to Fire, a common attacking type, and the fact the a lot of Pokemon can set up on Forretress. Overall, Forretress brings a lot to the team. He's a great Wall, Hazard-Setter, and Rapid-Spinner.
Ripples (Salamence) @ Choice Scarf
Moxie
Adamant (+Att,-SpAtt)
252 Att/252 Spd/4 HP
-Outrage
-Dragon Claw
-Earthquake
-Thunder Fang
Salamence is probably one of the best Choice Scarf users this generation. Most of the time, the other 5 members of the team will wear the opposing team down, and then in comes Salamence to finish the job. Choice Scarf allows Salamence to outspeed a huge portion of the metagame, only select Scarfers can beat Salamence to the punch. Moxie was a godsend for Salamence, if it gets 1 or 2 Moxie boosts, not much can take an Outrage. The EVs are meant to maximize Attack and Speed, just to make sure that nothing can survive an attack and hit back, and to make sure that nothing is fast enough to attack first. I know most Scarf MoxieMences run a Speed-boosting nature, but I don't want the battle to rely on a coin flip because of a speed-tie. Also, Adamant just makes Salamence ridiculously powerful. Outrage is the main attack that it uses. When the opponent has 3 or more Pokemon left, but with low HP, I use Dragon Claw to avoid Confusion. Earthquake is just in case the opponent still has Steel-types waiting to absorb an Outrage, but most of the time Dugtrio takes care of most Steel-types. Thunder Fang is just kind of a filler. I use Salamence to clean up the last few Pokemon that the opponent has, most of the time it is no issue because they are all at low HP. There is 2 big flaws with Salamence, Confusion and being locked into Outrage. I try not to use Outrage unless it is needed, because being Confused can give the opponent the chance to set up and turn the game in their favor, also all they have to do is switch into a Steel-type and I'm screwed. Salamence is probably one of the most solid members of the team, constantly winning games in pinch situations.
Entangled (Rotom-C) @ Choice Scarf
Levitate
Modest (+SpAtt,-Att)
252 SpAtt/252 Spd/4 HP
-Volt-Switch
-Leaf Storm
-Hidden Power [Fire]
-Trick
Ahh, Rotom-C. What an underrated Pokemon. Most people opt for Rotom-C's, bigger, bulkier brother, Rotom-W. However, Rotom-C counters Rotom-W and his partner in crime, Scizor. Rotom-C is also more unpredictable and covers hard to counter threats like Gastrodon and Quagsire. The Choice Scarf pretty much allows Rotom to outspeed anything that isn't Scarfed. Levitate is a great ability because Rotom can come into Earthquakes, and then quickly Volt-Switch back out to provide momentum. I chose an all out attacker EV spread, since the team is offensive, not defensive. In addition to that, Rotom gets hit very seldom. With the Speed EVs Rotom outspeeds a lot, even once the Choice Scarf is tricked away. The Special Attack EVs allow Rotom to hit like a truck. I chose Modest nature over Timid because Rotom-C is already fast, but I felt that it needed to hit as hard as it could. Most of the time, Volt-Switch is used. It can be a double-edged blade because a lot of my team gets 1 hit KO'd when Rotom Volt-Switches to them. If it works out well, Volt-Switch allows for me to offensively pressure the opponent. Leaf Storm is also a double-edged blade, as Rotom can trapped into spamming a move with low accuracy and it lowers Rotom's Special Attack. I pretty much save Leaf Storm for when it is 100% necessary to use. For example: Their last Pokemon is Quagsire, and none of my other Pokemon can hit it very hard. I also use it when I know that I outspeed opposing Rotom-Ws, because I hate those damn things. I use Hidden Power Fire to nail Scizor. I'll try to explain how I beat Scizor 99% of the time. Bullet Punch does low damage, so U-Turn is really their only option. They can switch out, but that is risky because if I use Volt-Switch, then I can just switch out to whatever I want. Most people don't even expect the Hidden Power [Fire], since most Rotom carry Hidden Power [Ice]. They think that they have the upper hand, I have to Volt-Switch out and then they U-Turn into whatever they want. Little do they know. Anyway, I use Trick to beat out stall/wall Pokemon. I also use it when I know that Rotom outspeeds most of their team even without a Scarf. At least that when I can vary up moves. I basically use Rotom to put offensive pressure on the opponent, as well as shut down any offensive cores that they are running, like ScizorWash. I sometimes lead with Rotom, but a lot of people predict that, so most of the time I don't lead with it. As I said before, Rotom is a double-edged blade; if I use Volt-Switch, I often lose the Pokemon that is switched in, and if I use Leaf Storm, I am giving the opponent the chance to set up. Overall, Rotom-C is a good member to the team and can put a dent in common teams.
Trick (Zoroark) @ Leftovers
Illusion
Timid (+Spd,-Att)
252 SpAtt/252 Spd/4 HP
-Substitute
-Nasty Plot
-Dark Pulse
-Focus Blast
Oh man, Zoroark has really grown on me. I love him. He is the star of the team, he can consistently take out 2-3 members from the other team.I gave him Leftovers so he could trick people into thinking he was Forretress, or even Reuniclus. Illusion is a great ability, and it often creates amazing mind games with the opponent. The EVs are an offensive set. I wanted to outspeed as much as possible and 1 hit KO as much as possible. The Timid nature is so that I could outspeed a few extra threats. I usually lead with Zoroark, feigning to be something that scares off their lead. For example, they lead with Conkeldurr, so I pretend to be Reuniclus. When they switch out (which they will most of the time) I set up a Substitute. And then, depending on what they send out, I take action from there. If it is something that doesn't threaten Zoroark, I use Nasty Plot, if it is something that threatens it, then I will either use Dark Pulse or Focus Blast. If the opponent leads with a hazard setter, then I pretend to lead with Forretress and get plenty of free turns for set up. If Zoroark is behind a Substitute and has gotten a Nasty Plot off, it is guaranteed to take down a few Pokemon. Dark Pulse is wonderful STAB that also has a 10% chance to make the opponent Flinch, which sometimes saves the game. With both Dark Pulse and Focus Blast, Zoroark has near perfect coverage. I opted for Dark Pulse over Night Daze because I don't want to miss, even if it is a low chance, it isn't worth the extra 5 Base Power. As I said before, Zoroark is typically my lead, but sometimes I save it for late game sweeping if I notice that they don't have many fast Pokemon. There are 4 issues with Zoroark:
1. If your opponent predicts well, you're screwed, due to the below reasons.
2. It is super frail, it gets 1 hit KO'd by so may things.
3. It lacks about 12 Speed, if it was just a tad bit faster, it could outspeed common threats like Latios and Terrakion.
4. Focus Blast, it misses at crucial times.
Overall, I can't complain, Zoroark is really cool and fun to use. If I use it right, it can net multiple KO's a game. Definitely the star of the team.
Endos (Reuniclus) @ Leftovers
Magic Guard
Bold (+Def,-Att)
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
-Calm Mind
-Recover
-Psychic
-Focus Blast
Reuniclus is great. It can easily put a stop to stall-teams that are unprepared for it. Since Reuniclus is bulky, it helps to have Leftovers so it is constantly gaining HP back. Magic Guard is a wonderful ability, it allows me to turn subseeders or stall Pokemon, which the rest of my team has trouble with, into a set up opportunity. I went for a Defensive EV spread because I know that Calm Mind will allow me to take Special hits, so I wanted to be able to take Physical hits as well. The Bold nature also assists in being able to take Physical hits. I use Calm Mind to set up when I get the chance. Since Reuniclus is a bulky set up Pokemon, I wanted a reliable form of recovery, so I chose Recover as a move. Psychic is the main STAB move. Some people like Psyshock, but the only time that Psyshock is better than Psychic is against opposing Reuniclus. Most Special Walls can't touch Reuniclus, so I don't need Psyshock to immediately dispose of them. Focus Blast deals huge damage to Steel-types like Ferrothorn. I wait for the opponent to send out a stall Pokemon, and then I send out Reuniclus and set up a Calm Mind or 2, from there Reuniclus can take out huge chunks of people's team. There is only 1 issue with Reuniclus,and that is opposing Calm Minders, as I have no way to hit them hard. Overall, Reuniclus is my counter towards stall Pokemon and uses them as a chance to set up. He is an essential member of the team.
Mad (Dugtrio) @ Focus Sash
Arena Trap
Jolly (+Spd,-SpAtt)
252 Spd/252 Att/4 HP
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Sucker Punch
-Shadow Claw
One of my all time favorites. Dugtrio with a Focus Sash is pretty much guaranteed a KO per game. Dugtrio is really frail, so that's why I chose a Focus Sash, so it can at least survive 1 shot. Arena Trap is an amazing ability, it eases prediction and it helps me take out huge threats to the team with no worries of them escaping. Previously, Jirachi and Heatran were both big threats, but with Dugtrio, I can easily take them out. With the current EVs, Dutrio outspeeds the non-Scarfed portion of the metagame. Dugtrio has low Attack, so I put in a ton of Attack EVs so I could put big dents into things. With Jolly, nothing but a Scarfer (or really seldom seen Pokemon) outspeeds Dugtrio. Earthquake is the main STAB move, dealing huge damage to anything that doesn't fly. And since the opponent can't switch into something that is immune to Earthquake, it is spammable. Stone Edge is great to cover Flying-types, but it really sucks when it misses. Sucker Punch is for some Priority, since the rest of my team lacks it. I chose Shadow Claw over Reversal because Reversal doesn't cover many threats, neither does Shadow Claw. However, good opponents realize that I use Sucker Punch and then start setting up, so Shadow Claw prevents that from happening. Dugtrio is mainly used a revenge killer and it traps big threats to the team. When I look at the team preview, I quickly decide which Pokemon to save Dugtrio for. Dugtrio is a good Pokemon, but if the opponent lacks something that Dugtrio is good against, Dugtrio becomes useless. Dugtrio is still a solid member of the team.
~Big Threats~
The biggest threats to my team are Pokemon that can set up. If they get a boost off, I really don't have much to counter them. By far, the single biggest threat is Dragon Dance+Roost Dragonite. I can't immediately switch out to Salamece to counter it because I'm afraid of getting hit with Dragon Claw. Nothing else on my team can hit it for over 50%, so it can just Roost off damage and then Dragon Dance twice, allowing it to outspeed Salamence. Another big problem is me misplaying. My team is very high risk, so a single misplay can make me lose. And it is very easy to misplay with some of the members like Rotom-C and Zoroark.
~Closing Statement~
I hope everybody enjoyed my RMT. Sorry that some of the descriptions were really long. I hope that you professionals at Smogon can help me perfect this team. It is definitely one of the most fun teams that I have played with, despite its flaws.
~Importable~
Ripples (Salamence) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Thunder Fang
Endos (Reuniclus) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
Trick (Zoroark) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Illusion
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Nasty Plot
- Substitute
- Dark Pulse
- Focus Blast
Mad (Dugtrio) (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Arena Trap
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Shadow Claw
Entangled (Rotom-C) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Trick
Squonk (Forretress) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Thunder Fang
Endos (Reuniclus) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
Trick (Zoroark) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Illusion
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Nasty Plot
- Substitute
- Dark Pulse
- Focus Blast
Mad (Dugtrio) (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Arena Trap
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Shadow Claw
Entangled (Rotom-C) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Trick
Squonk (Forretress) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
