Introduction:
Hello everyone, and welcome to my 3rd OU RMT! Hopefully this one will get a little more attention than my last few.
So anyway, as you can probably tell from the title I am among the people who have a bit of a beef with Volt-Turn. But unlike a lot of those people, rather than declare the current meta “garbage” or suggest banning random things, I decided to try and change the meta the old fashioned way; anti-metagaming. Basically I designed this team to counter the omnipresent Volt-Turn strategy while still being able to take on other teams, which we must remember still make up around 60% of the game. In the end I came up with this, which is what has to be my most successful team to go straight from theorymonning to laddering so far. You see usually, I do trial and error, with emphasis on the “error”. I’ll throw a team together, play with it and switch out team members frequently until I find a fit. To my stark surprise, I haven’t really had to do that with this one yet, though I suspect it can still be improved.
EDIT: I've made a couple changes based on the posts of people in the thread now, and the team seems to be a little better off for it. There's still room for improvement though... just look at that threat list!
Team Overview:
The team is primarily defensive, though you might not be able to tell that from first glance. It’s goal is to counter and wear down opponents, usually in anticipation of a Conkledurr sweep. Ultimately though, this team is intended to show that Volt-Turn is beatable while still remaining relevant to the rest of the metagame. Tangrowth is my main stop to the core of Volt-Turn teams, taking physical hits like a boss while resisting Volt-Switch and the rest of Rotom’s attacks. It also functions as my primary physical wall, able to take even Terrakion’s punishing attacks without consequence. It and Jirachi spread paralysis, using Stun Spore and Body Slam respectively, a key function for my generally slow team. Jirachi also provides healing with Wish, sponges special attacks and sets up Stealth Rock. Those rocks are obviously important for defeating Volt-Turn, meaning that the opponent can’t volt-turn without consequence. Gyarados is my shuffler and status absorber, running a Rest-Talk set with Dragon Tail, allowing it to screw over the ever present dragons and fuck up Volt-Turn more by screwing with their switches. Intimidate is also vital for lessening the blows of powerful physical attackers. Tentacruel's almost sole roll is as a reliable spinner, something vital not just for Volt-Turn, which loves utilizing hazards, but for the metagame in general. It also has a couple moves which provide useful coverage should I need it. Latias is my secondary Special Wall and phazer, providing extra defense against a number of threats the others have trouble with. Conkledurr, as mentioned, is my Physical attacker and sweeper, and his priority is also exceptionally useful for weakened threats. Together this team covers a lot of roles and has good synergy, which is what has really led to its success so far.
In-Depth Anaylsis:
Tangrowth (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Knock Off
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Stun Spore
Yeah, you won’t be seeing this set and spread on any analysis, seeing as it’s custom built to dismantle the oh-so-common offensive core of Rotom-W and Scizor. Despite the fact it’s not fully invested in Defense, it still takes even super-effective physical blows like a total boss thanks to its insane physical bulk, able to handle even Scizor’s Banded U-Turn and live. But rather than resign myself to simply withstanding a heavy blow from the king of OU, I gave Tangrowth the tools with which to hit back. The EVs in speed are specifically to outrun standard CB Scizor, so I can nail it with HP Fire before it gets off its U-turn. This isn’t going OHKO unless it crits, but the damage is enough to put Scizor in easy KO range of most of my team. It also gives Tangrowth a surprise edge against the ever-present Ferrothorn and occasional Forretress, who often mistake Tangrowth for set-up fodder. The real beauty of this set is the ways it can cripple the opponent though, using Knock Off and Stun Spore. Knock Off is a very potent move against choiced opponents like the ones that tend to make up Volt-Turn teams, as it deprives them of their power or speed, making them much easier to handle. And really, nothing likes losing its item, and some things like Chansey and Gliscor (on the switch) LOATHE losing it. The true awesomeness of it though is that revealing the item often reveals the set of the opponent too, making it a pseudo scouting move as well. Stun Spore is used over Sleep Powder because it’s just as good as Sleep for me, and can be used more than once. A paralyzed Pokemon is easy prey for pretty much anyone on the team. Giga Drain is the STAB move of choice, keeping Tangrowth alive even longer. Regenerator is what makes Tangrowth so useful overall though, since it’s the very anathema of Volt-Switch. Even if an opponent switches to a counter using Volt-Switch or U-Turn, I can just switch myself the next turn and recover all the damage they did to me. Tangrowth almost always sticks around to the end of the match because of it, making it extremely reliable as a wall since I know I’ll have it when I need it.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SDef / 32 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Wish
Jirachi is one of the most important members of my team simply because it covers so many vital rolls at once. It’s my hazard layer, special wall, healer and paralysis spreader all in one. The rocks she lays are key to defeating Volt-Turn for obvious reasons, as is her ability to use Wish. Volt and U-turns are often very predictable, so she can use Wish as they are used then heal a counter of my choice on the switch. It also lessens the pressure of being worn down by Volt-Switching greatly. The paralysis isn’t so much for Volt-Turn (though it does help with that too) as it is for everything else. As mentioned, this team isn’t particularly fast, so paralyzing foes is something everyone on the team appreciates. She works well with Tangrowth generally, absorbing the special hits Tangrowth loathes, while Tangrowth takes the ground hits aimed at Jirachi. They do share a fire weakness though, which is where my third member comes in.
Latias (F) @ Leftovers Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Roar
Latias is in here primarily for her bevy of resistances to common special attacking types, chief among them her resistance to Fire. Her immunity to ground type moves also comes in handy, as you might might expect it would. She's a potent special wall, and a vital phazer as well, preventing special boosters and substitute users from walking all over my team. Offensively though, she leaves much to be desired, rarely able to hit switch-ins for anything significant and only rarely able to sweep. She's also extremely vulnerable to Tyranitar and Scizor, so I have to be careful about putting her in battle lest she get pursuited to death.
Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Waterfall
- Dragon Tail
Gyarados was chosen both for his bulk and ground immunity, making any attempt to Earthquake Jirachi or Tentacruel into a risky move. As a standard Rest-Talk set, Gyarados is a secondary wall and primary shuffler for my team with the added bonus of status absorption should I need it. Dragon Tail is especially fun to use against Volt-Turn teams, which rely on reliable switches to pull off their strategy. There’s nothing more satisfying that wearing down and forcing out Rotom-W as it attempts to switch in for an easy kill. Intimidate also gives him a terrific utility option, allowing him to easily neuter the opponent’s physical attackers temporarily. Rest gives him great longevity and allows him to sponge status for the team when I need him too. Mostly what he has to look out for are random electric coverage moves, which can end his trolling in a heartbeat. Barring that though, he can stick around all day, preventing any momentum from building on the opponent’s end of the field.
Conkeldurr (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Guts
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Payback
Conkledurr is the main offensive presence on my team, with few of the others being able to punch through walls like he can, and none able to sweep teams like him. He’s a standard Bulk-Up set, with Payback functioning as his coverage move. Gengar is everywhere in this meta so the choice is an easy one for me, as Payback allows Conkledurr to instantly remove the annoyance from the match. It also allows him to deal with some Psychic types that think him an easy kill. Conkledurr actually doesn’t do much defensively for my team, but what he does offensively is astounding. Mach Punch allows him to clean up weakened teams with ease, and he’s got the bulk and power to muscle his way through multiple checks before going down. The fighting coverage is invaluable, and without it I’d have no reliable way to deal with innumerable top teir threats such as Tyranitar. Many of my games end with Conkledurr sweeps, and it’s not hard to see why.
Tentacruel (F) @ Black Sludge Trait: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Protect
- Ice Beam
Much like Starmie before her, Tentacruel is here for almost the exclusive purpose of spinning. It can also strike back should I need to, but usually it's in here for the singular purpose of removing hazards, which it does quite well indeed. The lack of a recovery move is a problem though, as I can't really use Rain Dish without any rain (hence the choice of Liquid Ooze for an ability). Still, better synergy and added survivability does make her an upgrade over Starmie, and hazard control is vital to this team's success. The choice to not run Toxic Spikes might seem odd at first, but they tend to conflict with the paralysis spreading my team relies on and affect precious few Pokemon in OU anyway. I decided the extra coverage from Ice Beam and scouting uses of Protect benefited my team more.
Previous members: This section is shamelessly stolen from Pokemazter's thread, seeing as I find it fits the process I used with this team better than a team building process section.
Heatran (F) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Taunt
Replaced in favour of Latios
Starmie @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Thunderbolt
- Surf
Replaced in favour of Tentacruel
Theats: I've got a bit of idea of which Pokemon threaten my team most now, so I'm compiling a list of the threats I've identified so far. Expect this list to be updated as I encounter more threats and change my team to compensate.
Conclusion:
I’d like to point out that I have started testing this team, and though I haven’t encountered any real resistance yet I’m still relatively low on the ladder, so I haven’t faced the worst the metagame can offer yet. I’d like to hear suggestions on how I can improve this more, so please feel free to throw your ideas out there. Just be aware that if I have doubts about your ideas that I WILL challenge them. This isn’t in an attempt to make you look stupid or anything; it’s intended to stimulate discussion so we can pinpoint what would really work best.
So without further ado, commence rating my friends!
Hello everyone, and welcome to my 3rd OU RMT! Hopefully this one will get a little more attention than my last few.
So anyway, as you can probably tell from the title I am among the people who have a bit of a beef with Volt-Turn. But unlike a lot of those people, rather than declare the current meta “garbage” or suggest banning random things, I decided to try and change the meta the old fashioned way; anti-metagaming. Basically I designed this team to counter the omnipresent Volt-Turn strategy while still being able to take on other teams, which we must remember still make up around 60% of the game. In the end I came up with this, which is what has to be my most successful team to go straight from theorymonning to laddering so far. You see usually, I do trial and error, with emphasis on the “error”. I’ll throw a team together, play with it and switch out team members frequently until I find a fit. To my stark surprise, I haven’t really had to do that with this one yet, though I suspect it can still be improved.
EDIT: I've made a couple changes based on the posts of people in the thread now, and the team seems to be a little better off for it. There's still room for improvement though... just look at that threat list!
Team Overview:
The team is primarily defensive, though you might not be able to tell that from first glance. It’s goal is to counter and wear down opponents, usually in anticipation of a Conkledurr sweep. Ultimately though, this team is intended to show that Volt-Turn is beatable while still remaining relevant to the rest of the metagame. Tangrowth is my main stop to the core of Volt-Turn teams, taking physical hits like a boss while resisting Volt-Switch and the rest of Rotom’s attacks. It also functions as my primary physical wall, able to take even Terrakion’s punishing attacks without consequence. It and Jirachi spread paralysis, using Stun Spore and Body Slam respectively, a key function for my generally slow team. Jirachi also provides healing with Wish, sponges special attacks and sets up Stealth Rock. Those rocks are obviously important for defeating Volt-Turn, meaning that the opponent can’t volt-turn without consequence. Gyarados is my shuffler and status absorber, running a Rest-Talk set with Dragon Tail, allowing it to screw over the ever present dragons and fuck up Volt-Turn more by screwing with their switches. Intimidate is also vital for lessening the blows of powerful physical attackers. Tentacruel's almost sole roll is as a reliable spinner, something vital not just for Volt-Turn, which loves utilizing hazards, but for the metagame in general. It also has a couple moves which provide useful coverage should I need it. Latias is my secondary Special Wall and phazer, providing extra defense against a number of threats the others have trouble with. Conkledurr, as mentioned, is my Physical attacker and sweeper, and his priority is also exceptionally useful for weakened threats. Together this team covers a lot of roles and has good synergy, which is what has really led to its success so far.
In-Depth Anaylsis:
Tangrowth (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Knock Off
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Stun Spore
Yeah, you won’t be seeing this set and spread on any analysis, seeing as it’s custom built to dismantle the oh-so-common offensive core of Rotom-W and Scizor. Despite the fact it’s not fully invested in Defense, it still takes even super-effective physical blows like a total boss thanks to its insane physical bulk, able to handle even Scizor’s Banded U-Turn and live. But rather than resign myself to simply withstanding a heavy blow from the king of OU, I gave Tangrowth the tools with which to hit back. The EVs in speed are specifically to outrun standard CB Scizor, so I can nail it with HP Fire before it gets off its U-turn. This isn’t going OHKO unless it crits, but the damage is enough to put Scizor in easy KO range of most of my team. It also gives Tangrowth a surprise edge against the ever-present Ferrothorn and occasional Forretress, who often mistake Tangrowth for set-up fodder. The real beauty of this set is the ways it can cripple the opponent though, using Knock Off and Stun Spore. Knock Off is a very potent move against choiced opponents like the ones that tend to make up Volt-Turn teams, as it deprives them of their power or speed, making them much easier to handle. And really, nothing likes losing its item, and some things like Chansey and Gliscor (on the switch) LOATHE losing it. The true awesomeness of it though is that revealing the item often reveals the set of the opponent too, making it a pseudo scouting move as well. Stun Spore is used over Sleep Powder because it’s just as good as Sleep for me, and can be used more than once. A paralyzed Pokemon is easy prey for pretty much anyone on the team. Giga Drain is the STAB move of choice, keeping Tangrowth alive even longer. Regenerator is what makes Tangrowth so useful overall though, since it’s the very anathema of Volt-Switch. Even if an opponent switches to a counter using Volt-Switch or U-Turn, I can just switch myself the next turn and recover all the damage they did to me. Tangrowth almost always sticks around to the end of the match because of it, making it extremely reliable as a wall since I know I’ll have it when I need it.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SDef / 32 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Body Slam
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Wish
Jirachi is one of the most important members of my team simply because it covers so many vital rolls at once. It’s my hazard layer, special wall, healer and paralysis spreader all in one. The rocks she lays are key to defeating Volt-Turn for obvious reasons, as is her ability to use Wish. Volt and U-turns are often very predictable, so she can use Wish as they are used then heal a counter of my choice on the switch. It also lessens the pressure of being worn down by Volt-Switching greatly. The paralysis isn’t so much for Volt-Turn (though it does help with that too) as it is for everything else. As mentioned, this team isn’t particularly fast, so paralyzing foes is something everyone on the team appreciates. She works well with Tangrowth generally, absorbing the special hits Tangrowth loathes, while Tangrowth takes the ground hits aimed at Jirachi. They do share a fire weakness though, which is where my third member comes in.
Latias (F) @ Leftovers Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Roar
Latias is in here primarily for her bevy of resistances to common special attacking types, chief among them her resistance to Fire. Her immunity to ground type moves also comes in handy, as you might might expect it would. She's a potent special wall, and a vital phazer as well, preventing special boosters and substitute users from walking all over my team. Offensively though, she leaves much to be desired, rarely able to hit switch-ins for anything significant and only rarely able to sweep. She's also extremely vulnerable to Tyranitar and Scizor, so I have to be careful about putting her in battle lest she get pursuited to death.
Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Waterfall
- Dragon Tail
Gyarados was chosen both for his bulk and ground immunity, making any attempt to Earthquake Jirachi or Tentacruel into a risky move. As a standard Rest-Talk set, Gyarados is a secondary wall and primary shuffler for my team with the added bonus of status absorption should I need it. Dragon Tail is especially fun to use against Volt-Turn teams, which rely on reliable switches to pull off their strategy. There’s nothing more satisfying that wearing down and forcing out Rotom-W as it attempts to switch in for an easy kill. Intimidate also gives him a terrific utility option, allowing him to easily neuter the opponent’s physical attackers temporarily. Rest gives him great longevity and allows him to sponge status for the team when I need him too. Mostly what he has to look out for are random electric coverage moves, which can end his trolling in a heartbeat. Barring that though, he can stick around all day, preventing any momentum from building on the opponent’s end of the field.
Conkeldurr (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Guts
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Payback
Conkledurr is the main offensive presence on my team, with few of the others being able to punch through walls like he can, and none able to sweep teams like him. He’s a standard Bulk-Up set, with Payback functioning as his coverage move. Gengar is everywhere in this meta so the choice is an easy one for me, as Payback allows Conkledurr to instantly remove the annoyance from the match. It also allows him to deal with some Psychic types that think him an easy kill. Conkledurr actually doesn’t do much defensively for my team, but what he does offensively is astounding. Mach Punch allows him to clean up weakened teams with ease, and he’s got the bulk and power to muscle his way through multiple checks before going down. The fighting coverage is invaluable, and without it I’d have no reliable way to deal with innumerable top teir threats such as Tyranitar. Many of my games end with Conkledurr sweeps, and it’s not hard to see why.
Tentacruel (F) @ Black Sludge Trait: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Protect
- Ice Beam
Much like Starmie before her, Tentacruel is here for almost the exclusive purpose of spinning. It can also strike back should I need to, but usually it's in here for the singular purpose of removing hazards, which it does quite well indeed. The lack of a recovery move is a problem though, as I can't really use Rain Dish without any rain (hence the choice of Liquid Ooze for an ability). Still, better synergy and added survivability does make her an upgrade over Starmie, and hazard control is vital to this team's success. The choice to not run Toxic Spikes might seem odd at first, but they tend to conflict with the paralysis spreading my team relies on and affect precious few Pokemon in OU anyway. I decided the extra coverage from Ice Beam and scouting uses of Protect benefited my team more.
Previous members: This section is shamelessly stolen from Pokemazter's thread, seeing as I find it fits the process I used with this team better than a team building process section.
Heatran (F) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Taunt
Replaced in favour of Latios
Starmie @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Thunderbolt
- Surf
Replaced in favour of Tentacruel
Theats: I've got a bit of idea of which Pokemon threaten my team most now, so I'm compiling a list of the threats I've identified so far. Expect this list to be updated as I encounter more threats and change my team to compensate.
Latios: Jirachi can usually handle it as long as she's in good health, but once she's weakened or eliminated my team has a very hard time stopping it. Special mention goes to rain variants, who can power through Jirachi with Rain boosted Surfs.
Celebi: The reason for this is that I simply lack any super-effective moves powerful enough to eliminate it, except on Conkledurr who gets wasted by Psychic. Offensively it doesn't do a lot, but between its recovery moves and Natural cure I just can't break it down.
Hydreigon: It's coverage just covers my team too well, with nothing being able to take his whole set. My only saving grace is that Conkledurr can OHKO it with Drain Punch, but getting that punch off is very hard thanks to Conkledurr's fairly low special defence.
Venusaur: I can pretty much kiss my ass goodbye if this guy shows up in the sun, as nothing I have can KO it quickly and nothing I have can take a combination of Sludge Bomb and either HP Fire or Earthquake. Thankfully, it's not very common.
Jirachi: It doesn't do much damage but good lord can it ever hang around forever. Conkledurr can manage usually if he's around, but there are circumstances that can lead to his failure as well. I just don't have anything strong enough to quickly eliminate it, and it's usually paralyzed half my team by the time I do get rid of it.
Jellicent: The same deal as Jirachi. Doesn't do much harm usually, but I'll be damned if I can break through it easily. Again, Conk is my main answer but again, there are many scenarios where he can't and I'm in a for a long haul if he's been removed from the picture.
Celebi: The reason for this is that I simply lack any super-effective moves powerful enough to eliminate it, except on Conkledurr who gets wasted by Psychic. Offensively it doesn't do a lot, but between its recovery moves and Natural cure I just can't break it down.
Hydreigon: It's coverage just covers my team too well, with nothing being able to take his whole set. My only saving grace is that Conkledurr can OHKO it with Drain Punch, but getting that punch off is very hard thanks to Conkledurr's fairly low special defence.
Venusaur: I can pretty much kiss my ass goodbye if this guy shows up in the sun, as nothing I have can KO it quickly and nothing I have can take a combination of Sludge Bomb and either HP Fire or Earthquake. Thankfully, it's not very common.
Jirachi: It doesn't do much damage but good lord can it ever hang around forever. Conkledurr can manage usually if he's around, but there are circumstances that can lead to his failure as well. I just don't have anything strong enough to quickly eliminate it, and it's usually paralyzed half my team by the time I do get rid of it.
Jellicent: The same deal as Jirachi. Doesn't do much harm usually, but I'll be damned if I can break through it easily. Again, Conk is my main answer but again, there are many scenarios where he can't and I'm in a for a long haul if he's been removed from the picture.
Reuniclus: Paticularly the Clam Mind variety, which is very hard for my team to break through. The Trick Room variety can also deal heavy damage, but isn't as annoying.
Conkledurr: Conkledurr can be a threat due to the lack of powerful special attacks on my team, though it finds it hard to break through Gyarados even if it has Stone Edge.
Gyarados: This is pure theorymonning as I haven't encountered one since losing Starmie, but the lack of electric moves will likely make it hard for me to take down. At least my phazers can prevent it from boosting.
Landorus: Generally easy enough to handle, but if it has the right moves it can be annoying. HP Ice prevents Tangrowth from completely walling it, and Gyarados is potentially vulnerable to Stone edge. U-Turn wrecks Latias. It can beat Conk if he hasn't boosted yet and the other two are weak to Earthquake. The good news is that it rarely uses all these moves at once so I usually have a way to deal with it.
Toxicroak: Similarly to Landorus, I can handle it pretty much no matter what moveset it has but it can beat each of my Pokemon if it has the right moves, making defeating it a bit of a crapshoot. Ice Punch can prevent Latios from phazing it, and Substitute can do the same for Gyarados. I can usually beat it one way or another though... it's just a little difficult at times.
Conkledurr: Conkledurr can be a threat due to the lack of powerful special attacks on my team, though it finds it hard to break through Gyarados even if it has Stone Edge.
Gyarados: This is pure theorymonning as I haven't encountered one since losing Starmie, but the lack of electric moves will likely make it hard for me to take down. At least my phazers can prevent it from boosting.
Landorus: Generally easy enough to handle, but if it has the right moves it can be annoying. HP Ice prevents Tangrowth from completely walling it, and Gyarados is potentially vulnerable to Stone edge. U-Turn wrecks Latias. It can beat Conk if he hasn't boosted yet and the other two are weak to Earthquake. The good news is that it rarely uses all these moves at once so I usually have a way to deal with it.
Toxicroak: Similarly to Landorus, I can handle it pretty much no matter what moveset it has but it can beat each of my Pokemon if it has the right moves, making defeating it a bit of a crapshoot. Ice Punch can prevent Latios from phazing it, and Substitute can do the same for Gyarados. I can usually beat it one way or another though... it's just a little difficult at times.
Conclusion:
I’d like to point out that I have started testing this team, and though I haven’t encountered any real resistance yet I’m still relatively low on the ladder, so I haven’t faced the worst the metagame can offer yet. I’d like to hear suggestions on how I can improve this more, so please feel free to throw your ideas out there. Just be aware that if I have doubts about your ideas that I WILL challenge them. This isn’t in an attempt to make you look stupid or anything; it’s intended to stimulate discussion so we can pinpoint what would really work best.
So without further ado, commence rating my friends!
