My first team since returning to Pokemon

Jayceeblaster · Apr 9th, 2012, 9:27:24 PM

So I kinda left Pokemon for a bit a few months ago. I don't know why, I just slowly stopped playing. Last week, however, I got very bored so I was just like "Hey, try some PO!" And now I seem to be hooked again!

After a lot of testing this team and working out its kinks, I finally decided to take it off of my testing alt name and put it on my real account. I'm up to rank 941 after a very short time today. The highest rank I've ever been at was ~120 (not with this team of course), but that was a long time ago.

Team Building Process

...

I feel like I did a very lackluster job on this team building process thing. :/

The Team

Tyranitar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Thunder Wave

The thing I love about T-Tar is that he's so versatile. Before I started using this, this would be my mind when someone led with a T-Tar : "What set could this be? Is its goal to get up Stealth Rock immediately? Is it a special attacker? Physical attacker? Choiced? A set with insane defenses? Does it have T-Wave or Toxic?" Etc Etc. Props to the guy who used a Fling T-Tar with Flame Orb against me earlier today. Was NOT expecting that. Anyway, my goal here is to get up Stealth Rock first. I love the residual damage (that probably stems from my use of all-Hazards + Phazing teams) and the fact that it can seriously hurt a lot of those guys on Sun teams. Spreading para through teams can make them rage, too. Yeah, Paralysis can total cripple those who aren't expecting it. The great EdgeQuake combo is nice to use against those Pokemon who think they pack hard enough hits to KO me, but don't thanks to my defensive EV spread.

Landorus (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sand Force
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Swords Dance

I know, I know. "U-turn?" I was a bit unsure when I was making this, but it's proved to work just fine. One problem with this set is Pokemon that are faster than mine. Special attacks will take me down fairly quickly. But if the super-speedy 'Mons are out of the way, Landorus has the potential to make a clean sweep.

Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Trick

As I said before, this washing machine really packs a punch. Even under the Sun, Hydro Pump 2HKOs Ninetales every time in my experience. One of the first things I do during Team Preview is check for Ground types. If they're not there, I definitely lead with Rotom-W for early momentum with Volt Switch. HP Fire deals with Ferrothorn and his Steel-type comrades when they're weakened. Trick is for when stall teams really start screwing me over and I desperately need to cripple a member of the opposing team. And of course, the Volt-Turn combo with Scizor is deadly as ever in how it can change the momentum of a battle in a single turn.

Conkeldurr (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Guts
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Payback

You'd be surprised at how many battles Conkeldurr has won for me. I know I was. I've made some smart calls that gave me the chance to set up, and it was GG from there. The SDef stat is really a disappointment; I think Conkeldurr would so OP if it was better. The Psychic weakness is covered by T-Tar and Scizor, and Scizor can drive away those Psychics with U-Turn and Pursuit.

Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit

Standard set. Not really much too say here. Revenge kills and takes down weakened opponents late-game. Scouts with U-Turn in tandem with Rotom-W's Volt Switch. Catches the Psychics with Pursuit. I used to think Pursuit was so overrated, but now that I actually know what I'm doing with it I see why it's popular!

Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 152 HP / 176 SAtk / 180 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Recover

I think this set work really well with this team.
Stats :
HP - 339
Attack - Who cares
Defense - 216
SpA - 328
SDef - 296
Spe - 300

Now that's nice. Ferrothorn and the like give Latias trouble, but they're covered by pretty much everyone else on the team. I like having Surf on here because it serves as a backup counter against Gliscor if Rotom-W goes down.

--------------------------------------------

So, insert the common RMT questions here.

WHAT CAN I FIX?
IS ANYTHING WRONG?
SHOULD I ASK THIS QUESTION IN 10 MORE WAYS?
AM I A NOOB?
ARE YOU A NOOB?
SHOULD I STOP MAKING FUN OF RMTS?

--------------------------------------------

Thanks.
~Jaycee

**Arcticblast** · Apr 9th, 2012, 9:48:36 PM

Welcome back to Pokemon, I guess.

This is a pretty standard team, actually - not that far removed from the cut & paste VoltTurn teams that nobody really likes. However, I kind of like this team. That Tyranitar set seems like it would be a disruptive son of a bitch to face. I mean, there are no Tyranitar sets with status moves in its analysis. And Conkeldurr over Terrakion is pretty awesome. Anyway, because of the relation to standard teams, I only have a couple of suggestions.

While boosting and U-Turn/Volt Switch isn't a bad strategy, it doesn't seem that great on Landorus. And with a Life Orb, you won't be feigning a Choice Scarf. My suggestion? Use Expert Belt Landorus. Expert Belt allows you to bluff a choice item as long as you need to, and then when the moment is right switch your move.

Now then, Latias's Life Orb Tank set (the one you're using) isn't bad either. But in my opinion, Latias makes a much better Calm Mind user than straight-up attacker. Calm Mind Latias is a powerful set that can absolutely plow through a team unprepared for it, and it only needs two moves. Latias's natural bulk allows it to switch in on attacks you never thought it could really take, use Calm Mind while surviving another attack, Recover, and attack or boost some more. Heck, once it has a few boosts it can simply muscle past Heatran with Dragon Pulse.

Sets

Hope I helped. Good luck with the team!

Brutalitops · Apr 9th, 2012, 10:30:28 PM

This is a very standard, common volt-turn team in the sun. There's not too much to say about this team. It has a very good core and there's not much to change.
The main thing that caught my eye is the life-orb Latias. Latias in the sand + life orb damage will take it down very fast and it would need to recover constantly. What separates latias from latios is because of it is bulkier and you should use a calm-mind variant.

Apr 9th, 2012, 9:27:24 PM	#1
Jayceeblaster Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 24	My first team since returning to Pokemon So I kinda left Pokemon for a bit a few months ago. I don't know why, I just slowly stopped playing. Last week, however, I got very bored so I was just like "Hey, try some PO!" And now I seem to be hooked again! After a lot of testing this team and working out its kinks, I finally decided to take it off of my testing alt name and put it on my real account. I'm up to rank 941 after a very short time today. The highest rank I've ever been at was ~120 (not with this team of course), but that was a long time ago. Team Building Process ... Tyranitar! I once swore to myself I would never use a Sand team in OU, but when I realized how dominant weather is, I felt it was best for me to use one because I normally have a lot of trouble overcoming weather, specifically Rain. So I actually tried out a Rain team for a bit, but I couldn't quite get the hang of it. Sun teams absolutely appall me, and Hail just isn't good enough (IMO). Therefore, I turned to T-Tar. I don't even abuse Sand that much anyway so it's still good with me. What can I say? He's proven to be excellent if you know how to play him properly. With a nice SpA and a Choice Scarf Rotom-W can do some real damage with Hydro Pump and the infamous Volt Switch. I went for a late-game sweeper with Latios, who, when holding Specs, can rip through when they're hang on for survival. With HP Fire he's also good for taking down those pesky Steel types that are especially bulky with the Defense. I figured a tough looking thing would be good enough. ... ... ... ... No? Didn't think so. With proper support to get rid of the heavy-hitting Special attackers, Conkeldurr can sweep with Bulk Up Drain Punches and Mach Punches. It also helps out Latios with the occasional Dark type. (I'm looking at you, Scrafty!) I've had success with Gliscor outside of Sand teams, so I figured why not? I just used my old stall set. I don't even know why I didn't do this earlier! Volt-Turn makes people rage, and of course there's Scizor's trademark Technician Bullet Punch. Even in the first 3 matches, it was clear to me the Gliscor was NOT right for my team. I wanted something more offensive, and while I simply could've changed Gliscor's set from my stall one, I'd had enough of Gliscor failures to last a lifetime. Landorus gives me what I want. Same typing, but with much better offensive capabilities, and of course the Sand abuse is a plus. Besides, who wouldn't want Landorus on their team? This bitch can dance. Latios didn't quite fit either, as he's too frail to last. There were just too many surprises that kept him from fulfilling his role as late-game sweeper. Dragon power is still a good thing to have, and I still wanted something offensive, but I just didn't want it to be so frail. Enter the sister, Latias! Nice bulk, and she catches people off guard when they find out she's not a support 'Mon but a Life Orb one. I feel like I did a very lackluster job on this team building process thing. :/ The Team Tyranitar (M) @ Leftovers Trait: Sand Stream EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SDef Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd) - Stealth Rock - Earthquake - Stone Edge - Thunder Wave The thing I love about T-Tar is that he's so versatile. Before I started using this, this would be my mind when someone led with a T-Tar : "What set could this be? Is its goal to get up Stealth Rock immediately? Is it a special attacker? Physical attacker? Choiced? A set with insane defenses? Does it have T-Wave or Toxic?" Etc Etc. Props to the guy who used a Fling T-Tar with Flame Orb against me earlier today. Was NOT expecting that. Anyway, my goal here is to get up Stealth Rock first. I love the residual damage (that probably stems from my use of all-Hazards + Phazing teams) and the fact that it can seriously hurt a lot of those guys on Sun teams. Spreading para through teams can make them rage, too. Yeah, Paralysis can total cripple those who aren't expecting it. The great EdgeQuake combo is nice to use against those Pokemon who think they pack hard enough hits to KO me, but don't thanks to my defensive EV spread. Landorus (M) @ Life Orb Trait: Sand Force EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk) - Earthquake - Stone Edge - U-turn - Swords Dance I know, I know. "U-turn?" I was a bit unsure when I was making this, but it's proved to work just fine. One problem with this set is Pokemon that are faster than mine. Special attacks will take me down fairly quickly. But if the super-speedy 'Mons are out of the way, Landorus has the potential to make a clean sweep. Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf Trait: Levitate EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk) - Hydro Pump - Volt Switch - Hidden Power [Fire] - Trick As I said before, this washing machine really packs a punch. Even under the Sun, Hydro Pump 2HKOs Ninetales every time in my experience. One of the first things I do during Team Preview is check for Ground types. If they're not there, I definitely lead with Rotom-W for early momentum with Volt Switch. HP Fire deals with Ferrothorn and his Steel-type comrades when they're weakened. Trick is for when stall teams really start screwing me over and I desperately need to cripple a member of the opposing team. And of course, the Volt-Turn combo with Scizor is deadly as ever in how it can change the momentum of a battle in a single turn. Conkeldurr (F) @ Leftovers Trait: Guts EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SDef Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd) - Bulk Up - Drain Punch - Mach Punch - Payback You'd be surprised at how many battles Conkeldurr has won for me. I know I was. I've made some smart calls that gave me the chance to set up, and it was GG from there. The SDef stat is really a disappointment; I think Conkeldurr would so OP if it was better. The Psychic weakness is covered by T-Tar and Scizor, and Scizor can drive away those Psychics with U-Turn and Pursuit. Scizor (M) @ Choice Band Trait: Technician EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Bullet Punch - U-turn - Superpower - Pursuit Standard set. Not really much too say here. Revenge kills and takes down weakened opponents late-game. Scouts with U-Turn in tandem with Rotom-W's Volt Switch. Catches the Psychics with Pursuit. I used to think Pursuit was so overrated, but now that I actually know what I'm doing with it I see why it's popular! Latias (F) @ Life Orb Trait: Levitate EVs: 152 HP / 176 SAtk / 180 Spd Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk) - Draco Meteor - Surf - Thunderbolt - Recover I think this set work really well with this team. Stats : HP - 339 Attack - Who cares Defense - 216 SpA - 328 SDef - 296 Spe - 300 Now that's nice. Ferrothorn and the like give Latias trouble, but they're covered by pretty much everyone else on the team. I like having Surf on here because it serves as a backup counter against Gliscor if Rotom-W goes down. -------------------------------------------- So, insert the common RMT questions here. WHAT CAN I FIX? IS ANYTHING WRONG? SHOULD I ASK THIS QUESTION IN 10 MORE WAYS? AM I A NOOB? ARE YOU A NOOB? SHOULD I STOP MAKING FUN OF RMTS? -------------------------------------------- Thanks. ~Jaycee __________________ Check out my Defensive Combo thread : http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3450959 Last edited by Jayceeblaster; Apr 9th, 2012 at 9:57:04 PM.

Apr 9th, 2012, 9:48:36 PM	#2
Arcticblast is going goat Moderator Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,968 #serperiors Mentor	Welcome back to Pokemon, I guess. This is a pretty standard team, actually - not that far removed from the cut & paste VoltTurn teams that nobody really likes. However, I kind of like this team. That Tyranitar set seems like it would be a disruptive son of a bitch to face. I mean, there are no Tyranitar sets with status moves in its analysis. And Conkeldurr over Terrakion is pretty awesome. Anyway, because of the relation to standard teams, I only have a couple of suggestions. While boosting and U-Turn/Volt Switch isn't a bad strategy, it doesn't seem that great on Landorus. And with a Life Orb, you won't be feigning a Choice Scarf. My suggestion? Use Expert Belt Landorus. Expert Belt allows you to bluff a choice item as long as you need to, and then when the moment is right switch your move. Now then, Latias's Life Orb Tank set (the one you're using) isn't bad either. But in my opinion, Latias makes a much better Calm Mind user than straight-up attacker. Calm Mind Latias is a powerful set that can absolutely plow through a team unprepared for it, and it only needs two moves. Latias's natural bulk allows it to switch in on attacks you never thought it could really take, use Calm Mind while surviving another attack, Recover, and attack or boost some more. Heck, once it has a few boosts it can simply muscle past Heatran with Dragon Pulse. Sets Landorus @ Expert Belt Naive nature 228 Atk / 28 SpA / 252 Spe Earthquake \| Stone Edge \| U-Turn \| Hidden Power Ice Latias @ Leftovers Timid nature 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe Calm Mind \| Recover \| Dragon Pulse \| Hidden Power Fire / Substitute / Roar I'm sorry, I just love telling people to use this set... Hope I helped. Good luck with the team! __________________ New to Smogon? Afraid to jump into discussion? Introduce yourself! ------------------- Fail Cup \| Scramble! \| RMTs: Blistering Sands (BH) Night Stall (OU) \| The Fringe Tournament \| ARcTicblast \| Other Metagames Premier League \| avatar by raikou00, signature art by Zracknel additional credit to Pocket and AccidentalGreed

Apr 9th, 2012, 10:30:28 PM	#3
Brutalitops Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 10	This is a very standard, common volt-turn team in the sun. There's not too much to say about this team. It has a very good core and there's not much to change. The main thing that caught my eye is the life-orb Latias. Latias in the sand + life orb damage will take it down very fast and it would need to recover constantly. What separates latias from latios is because of it is bulkier and you should use a calm-mind variant. __________________ Magic user babay, whaatt??