Alright I need to finally get around to posting my battles:
I am pretty bored running the same team I have run since pretty much I started the playing and I think so is everyone else :p
From my experience with my team I came to these conclusions:
- Focus Sash is a very powerful item this metagame due to the absence of SR. You can effectively keep a Poke to its sash all the way to late game. While this is mitigated by the ability for a Pokemon to be hit twice in one turn if slower, the times where you will be targeted twice (unless with a spread move) will be in the minority. Focus Sash can effectively disrupt many stratigies, expecially those of Helping Hand+Spread Move users. One paticular instance was when I trolled Pocket and his Eruption TR Heatran and KO'ed both of his Pokes :)
- Skymin is perhaps the most powerful Pokemon in this metagame. While many users will be inclined to disagree with me, I would say to them that Skymin combination of power, speed, and utility makes it so. First of all Skymin is rarely outsped since few teams carry a choice scarfer or a base 130+ Poke. Only priority is common enough that hits it first before it hits you. Speaking of hitting, it hits hard, Seed Flare is a monster. Not only is it a 120 BP STAB, but it can utilize the potential Sp. Def for a team mate. On the utility aspec, Skymin's Air Slash can be used to buy free turns for another teammate or itself. Getting yourself free-turns can be incredibly disruptive to the opponent, especially if he or she is trying to get a field effect up. It can also use Tailwind to support its team. Really the only thing stopping Skymin is Icy Wind being everywhere, weakness to spread moves (but it can be stopped with a good partner), and lack of its own spread moves. Skymin is the reason for the inclusion of Aerodactyl on this team.
- Helping Hand+Priority moves are an incredible tool to sniping Pokemon right out of the game. Helping Hand "helps" before a priority, move, so you can effectively have a 135 base power priority move with Scizor or Breloom!!! That isn't even taking into account item boosts. This is especially helpful against trick room teams.
- You should really come up with 3 solid pairs for your team. I have found building by the "pair method" is better than the "overall" method. In my case, it is Aerodactyl+Mamoswine, Skymin+Heatran, and Scizor+Cresselia.
- Aerodactyl is a pretty good niche pokemon. Its support makes sure Pokemon relying on resist berries/heal berries, such as Zapdos and Garchomp won't get away. It's fast STAB Rock Slide is a great anti-Skymin measure and its very fast Taunt makes sure the opponent will be debilitated. I would prefer to use Aerodactyl in the place of Archeops Pwnmon.
- Creeselia really enjoys using Icy Wind. Icy Wind hits many Pokemon 4x super-effectively while still providing support for a teammate.
On the metagame in general, it is interesting to see how toned down the power level is compared to singles and how things are flipped on their head. IMO Hail is better than Sand in this metagame. Other than Excadrill, Sand does not recieve as many perks compared to other weathers. Tyranitar's and Hippowdon's water-weakness sucks in a metagame filled with rain, and in Tyranitar's case weakness to Earthquake. Excadrill I have found is really subpar, since it's STAB EQ cannot handles the most popular bulky tanks in the metagame: those being Cresselia, Hitmontop, and Landorus-T. Creeslia is immune to its main STAB; Landorus-T does better with a super-effective EQ against Excadrill, Intimidate, and immunity; and Hitmontop applies Intimidate and either a Fighting-Gem Mach Punch/Close Combat or Wide Guard.
What makes Hail better is Blizzard, the best spread move in the game. Seriously, abusing 120 base power for a spread move lays down a lot of pain fast. Ice is one of the best attacking types in the game (behind fighting and dragon) hitting many Pokes 4x Super-effectively and having no immunities. Lastly, it has a 10% chance of feezing either target is
icying on the cake.
IMO Goodstuffs does not get enough representation in the tier. It certainly can apply pressure to almost all opposing playstyes. People also should apply more thought to the "lead doubles" metagame, Aerodactyl+Mamoswine have caught a lot of teams off guard. Lastly, I think people are starting to catch on to the application of SR in the tier. It still is not the force it is in singles, and never will be, but considering how many weather wars there are and how since it is 6 vs 6 instead of 4 vs 4 like VGC, it still has good application.