BW OU Eriatarka

Eriatarka

Introduction

Eriatarka, or JLei Rain as I affectionately call it, has been my flagship team for the past year. Most of the credit should actually go to the guy who I consider the best teambuilder I've ever met on Smogon, JLei2k, as he was the one who came up with the original team way back in early 2011. I haven't been able to get in touch with him since the infamous World Cup VI drama, but I've been tweaking the team since then and it's been an absolute blast to use. I hope you're doing well wherever you are my friend.

I have a good 15+ versions of this team, using everything from Sharpedo to Dugtrio, but the team I'm posting today is probably my best variation. It's fairly close to original team, which is a testament to how well it's stood the test of time in tier filled with fluctuations. It's been by far my most successful BW team, peaking #1 on the ladder a few times back when it was actually competitive, and doing really nicely in tournaments like SPL, Battle City, and Superstars. I really enjoy using offensive rain teams because of their simplicity and their versatility, since with a little bit of smart playing, Pokemon like Specs Starmie can clean up against teams with even the bulkiest of Water-resists. The release of BW2 has finally given me the motivation to post this team, and I figure I should probably try out some new stuff having used this team so much for so long.

I chose the title Eriatarka because it was one of my old laddering alts, and it's also a very pretty song and name. Bluewind refers to it as Mr. Simple though as a result of our mutual appreciation for great music and dancing Asian men.


The Team


Silent Alarm (Politoed) (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 220 HP / 252 SAtk / 36 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]

This is the best Politoed set in my opinion. Specs Politoed is probably the most effective way to win the weather war because it's a decent switch in to both Ninetales and defensive Tyranitar, while they absolutely cannot switch into a Specs Surf. Ice Beam and Focus Blast are useful coverage attacks, and the latter is ironically the move on my team that does the most to Ferrothorn. I used to use Perish Song in the last slot when SmashPass was in its heyday, but I like being able to hit Gastrodon with HP Grass because it helps Starmie a lot. Even though I use Specs Politoed a lot because of it's incredible effectiveness, it's honestly a blast to use, as OHKOing the likes of Scizor and Skarmory after Stealth Rock is a lot of fun.


Blue Light (Starmie) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf
- Thunder
- Trick
- Rapid Spin

My favourite Pokemon in OU! Specs Starmie forms a great one-two punch with Politoed, as very few teams pack enough bulk to keep up with both of them. While not your stereotypical sweeper, Starmie is usually my go to Pokemon to finish off games. I usually try to play my matches in a way that ensures my rain stays up and Water resists are sufficiently weakened so I can bring Starmie and clean up thanks to its amazing Speed.

The idea of only using two attacks on Specs Starmie came from JLei, and while it may seem weird at first, it actually works out quite well. Other than Surf, all I really need is Thunder to hit bulky Waters, particularly Jellicent who is 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. I do miss Ice Beam, but having two extremely bulky Steel-types for Dragons mitigates this issue. Trick is crucial when I'm facing stall, in which case I often Trick on the very first turn, as it completely screws over the best Starmie counters like Blissey, Chansey, and Ferrothorn. Rapid Spin lets me transform Starmie from an offensive monster to a solid team supporter after I lose the Specs, which is a huge asset against stall.


Eating Glass (Ferrothorn) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip

Ferrothorn is more or less a necessity for any rain team, whether it be offensive or stall-based. It checks a whole slew of Pokemon I'd otherwise be completely overwhelmed by, namely fast offensive Water- and Dragon-types. As everyone knows Ferrothorn is extremely hard to kill in the rain, so it's naturally my choice to set up Stealth Rock, and almost always gets the job done. I've always been a fan of running two attacks on Ferrothorn because Gyro Ball and Power Whip are both really useful. Sometimes I use Spikes over Gyro Ball and Protect / Thunder Wave over Leech Seed, but then I find myself completely unable to damage Outraging Dragons. It's definitely helpful in stall wars but the team tends to do fine against stall anyways, especially since Starmie packs Rapid Spin. Overall Ferrothorn is pretty irreplaceable and does everything I need, ranging from getting Stealth Rock up reliably for my sweepers to walling strong Pokemon that give the rest of my relatively fragile team issues.


Luno (Jirachi) @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Wish
- Thunder
- Flash Cannon

I generally try to pack two defensive Steels on my teams because Dragons are so strong in BW, but Jirachi doubles as both a pivot and a sweeper. Calm Mind + Wish Jirachi is a pretty neat set because it's often unexpected, especially with Thunder and Drizzle support. If Skarmory comes in expecting Jirachi to be Scarfed, I essentially get two free Calm Minds as it switches out, which puts me at a huge advantage against almost all teams. I find Thunder and Flash Cannon work best together after having tested a bunch of combinations, since the 60% paralysis chance on Thunder allows me to bypass a huge slew of threats, while Flash Cannon has generally good coverage and smacks around the dreaded Tyranitar. Jirachi's sheer versatility makes it a huge asset for my team, since it can spread paralysis, pass Wishes, and sweep on a whim. Most importantly, however, its massive defensive bulk prevents me from being completely overwhelmed by physical beasts like Toxicroak. Definitely a really fun and underrated set.


Banquet (Latios) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Roost

Latios is definitely one of the scariest Pokemon in Gen 5. I really like Life Orb Latios on a team that is fairly weak to Rotom-W because I can just Roost off damage from Will-O-Wisp or its STABs. I tend to use Roost a lot when I know I have to keep Latios healthy to switch in on something like Gliscor and the aforementioned Rotom-W. For the longest time I used Psyshock over Draco Meteor, but I hated being walled by Celebi and Starmie. Surf is pretty much a given especially on a rain team, and it's a pretty safe move to weaken most Steel-types like Jirachi as they swap in. I really like Hidden Power Fighting because it 2HKOes defensive Tyranitar after Stealth Rock, meaning I can keep my rain up without much worry. Plus, it's always nice to have something to hit Ferrothorn with, and I'm more than willing to sacrifice Latios if it means getting Ferrothorn weak enough to die to Starmie's Surf.


Plans (Landorus) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SDef)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Flying]

I've experimented with the last slot a lot, and while Landorus has hands down been the weak link of the team, sometimes I just find it irreplaceable. Azumarill used to hold this spot back on JLei's original team to 'counter' Excadrill, but I hated how it made me excessively weak to Breloom and Earth Power Celebi, so I tested a bunch of stuff after the most recent bans. Scarf Landorus is similar to DPP Flygon in that it's pretty much my catch-all revenge killer, and it doubles as a handy scouter to preserve momentum. I like to use Hidden Power Flying because, despite having Latios and a bulky Jirachi, Breloom still gives me headaches. Sometimes I use Fly with a Jolly nature for fun, which surprisingly pretty effective, but definitely not as reliable. Landorus is often completely useless in battle, but it's such a huge asset to have a dedicated revenge killer to save me against +1 Dragonite and +1 Volcarona.

Conclusion

Due to the offensive nature of the team, it's pretty weak to a large number of threats, mainly strong Fighting-type Pokemon. However, the team does a good job at preserving momentum for the most part and not allowing these kinds of Pokemon to switch in too freely. I think a lot of the team's success also stems from the fact that it inherently matches up well against other weather teams. In particular, Tyranitar is unable to switch into anything on the team without taking a massive chunk of damage. Most sun teams don't match up very well either unless they carry both Venusaur and Sawsbuck.

Anyways, hopefully I can reuse this build in BW2 and update it for the future. I appreciate any comments or suggestions, especially since I haven't played much BW2 yet and could use all the help I can get. Thank you for reading and you can find a threat list below, and more importantly, a very belated 1k shout out list.
 
Abomasnow - Really really annoying to play unless I can nail it with a Focus Blast on the switch. Jirachi is a pretty good hard counter, but it's just a pain to play because it walls my Waters really well while threatening Latios/Landorus with Ice Shard. Sometimes Ferrothorn can take it on but I don't like to risk the HP Fire.

Alakazam - I have to keep Jirachi alive if I want to have a safe switch in. Sometimes I'll let Ferrothorn take the Focus Blast and Gyro Ball it, or lure the Focus Blast onto Landorus and then U-turn.

Azelf - They're almost always leads so I just Surf right off the bat with Politoed and go to Jirachi for the Explosion.

Azumarill - Grrrr I hate it. I have to predict well between Superpower and Waterfall, but usually Ferrothorn is the one switching in. Fortunately Azumarill can't come in on anything because almost all my team will hit it hard.

Blissey - Can be a problem since removing Azumarill from my team, but Ferrothorn is a fine switch in. I try to Trick it with Starmie so I can just spam Surf. More of an annoyance.

Breloom - This guy is annoying for any team to play against. Between Latios, Jirachi, and Landorus I have a lot of checks but it's just lame that it can come in for free on the other half of my team and cripple something with Spore. Usually I let Ferrothorn take the sleep and force it out with Jirachi. Fortunately I often 2HKO with Starmie as it switches in with is nice.

Celebi - I used to be insanely weak to Celebi but Landorus helps a lot. If its LO Leaf Storm then I go to Jirachi, but if I predict a Nasty Plot I'll just U-turn with Landorus.

Chandelure - Surprisingly a huge issue. Sometimes it comes in on Jirachi as I Calm Mind which is always a blessing. Politoed can't take repeated Shadow Balls but it's a good counter in the sun because they mainly spam Fire Blast. Landorus can always revenge but SR and Shadow Balls wear it down fast.

Chansey - Same boat as Blissey I guess, though it's even more crippled by Trick. Ferrothorn is a safe switch in to get my SR up and Leech Seed whatever comes in.

Cloyster - It has a really hard time setting up on anything, but it can be a problem after a Shell Smash. I try to keep Ferrothorn healthy and hope it doesn't have LO, but again it can't set up on very much since rain boosted Surfs do way too much to it.

Conkeldurr - Can't switch in on anything but Latios can take predicted Drain Punches, while Politoed is a fine switch in if I predict a Bulk Up so I can smash it with Surf. Jirachi can set up with it though I need to be careful not to paralyze it.

Deoxys-D - I just 2HKO with Politoed and spin later with Starmie.

Donphan - A non-issue really. Latios is a great counter, and it gets hit hard by everything other than Landorus.

Dragonite - Even with two bulky Steels Dragonite is tough to face. Ferrothorn is generally a good CB Dragonite counter because I can wear it down with Leech Seed and get my Rocks up since they generally Outrage at the beginning of games. Jirachi can also take it on and stall with Wish or go for the Thunder paralysis. If I think I'm facing DD Dragonite I try to keep rocks up and Landorus healthy, or make sure Jirachi can take a +1 Fire Punch and pray I get the 60% paralysis.

Dugtrio - Not too big of a deal unless it's Sub Reversal and traps my Ferrothorn. Can't even trap Jirachi reliably because no one runs CB and I'm really bulky.

Espeon - Tend to switch in on Ferrothorn so I just spam Gyro Balls at the beginning of games. Can't harm much else and definitely can't switch into anything.

Ferrothorn - Man, I don't think I've used a more Ferrothorn weak team in my life. I have to play pretty strategically to beat it, whether it be luring it with Latios and hitting it with two HP Fightings or wearing it down with repeated Surfs in the rain. Sometimes I sacrifice Pokemon to get it weak enough so that it can't switch in on Latios, Politoed and Starmie, but a well-played Ferrothorn can be a pain if it just spams Leech Seed. Landorus can do a chunk to it if need be.

Forretress - Not a problem. It can come in against Ferrothorn but I have lots of Surf users to do it in.

Gastrodon - Generally a big problem for rain teams and mine is no exception. Scald is annoying if it burns Ferrothorn, so Latios is usually my first switch in. Starmie can Trick it and Politoed can smack it with HP Grass. Jirachi can beat non-Specs variants if they switch into a Calm Mind.

Gengar - Jirachi usually, but I can always revenge kill with Starmie or Landorus. Without Life Orb they're not all that scary, so Jirach is free to set up against it unless I get multiple Special Defense drops.

Gliscor - Latios is a good switch in, while Starmie and Politoed easily OHKO it. I speed creep on my Jirachi so sometimes I'm faster than it, meaning I can beat it after a Calm Mind and Stealth Rock.

Gorebyss - Pretty rare nowadays. Can't set up a Shell Smash against much even under screens. I like Jirachi because I can weaken it as it uses Smash Pass under the screens and then paralyze the recipient with Thunder as it Baton Passes.

Gyarados - Between Ferrothorn, Jirachi, and Starmie, I have loads of options to take care of it. Sub Gyarados can be an issue though. Landorus can revenge kill in a pinch.

Haxorus - I handle it in a similar way as Dragonite, using Ferrothorn and Jirachi to beat it in tandem.

Heatran - Politoed, Starmie, Latios all do it in. Starmie in particular because it doesn't care for the Toxic.

Hippowdon - A well played Special Defense Hippowdon can be annoying, but most of my team can hurt it pretty well. I need to be careful switching Starmie and Politoed in on Earthquakes, though.

Hydreigon - Jirachi is a nice counter. Surfs in the rain hurt but I can usually beat it one-on-one with Calm Mind and Wish.

Infernape - Ahhh annoying, but becomes much less problematic in the rain. I usually switch Landorus in first for U-turns, allowing Stealth Rock damage to rack up. Starmie can come in on anything except U-turn and kill it.

Jellicent - If it has Shadow Ball and Will-O-Wisp I'm in for an annoying battle, but Starmie is usually my primary switch in. Specs Thunder 2HKOes if I predict right, and Trick will straight up cripple it. Burns are annoying but Jirachi can take it on too.

Jirachi - Depends on the set of course, but Ferrothorn is usually a fine switch in. It doesn't like taking Surfs in the rain, and Landorus does it in with Earthquake. My Jirachi beats most other Jirachi one-on-one.

Jolteon - Can't switch in on much or touch Ferrothorn at all. Landorus revenges, Jirachi can set up on it. Latios provides a useful Electric resist but LO Shadow Balls or Signal Beams are no fun. Volt Switch is annoying but not too threatening.

Kingdra - I always keep Ferrothorn healthy when I play Kingdra. If paired with Magnezone it can be a problem, but Jirachi can go for the paralysis and tank Draco Meteors.

Kyurem - Jirachi beats almost all sets pretty soundly.

Landorus - Most of my team can eat U-turns pretty well and I try to wear it down with Stealth Rock. Generally can only come in after something dies because my team hits it too hard.

Latias - Ugh Sub Latias can beat Ferrothorn if I predict wrong with Leech Seed and Gyro Ball, and even still Gyro Ball doesn't have much PP. If I lose that war then I try to get some U-turn damage on it with Landorus, and then proceed to Calm Mind up with Jirachi against it. Still not a reliable method, but I can usually outstall Dragon Pulses. Starmie can Trick incoming Latias. If it's LO or Specs or Scarf then it's no problem.

Latios - Ferrothorn and Jirachi; much less of an issue.

Lucario - Ah I've been swept by this guy many a time if I don't get the lucky Thunder paralysis with Jirachi. It can only set up on Ferrothorn, so I tend to not use it if I'm playing against it. Most HO users like to double switch into Lucario if they have something like Salamence out, expecting me to go to Ferrothorn, so I play pretty aggressively and just attack everything. Definitely an issue.

Magnezone - I hate losing Ferrothorn so sometimes I use Bulldoze on it. If Power Whip doesn't miss I can actually beat some Substitute variants but that's usually too much to ask. I love when they try to trap Jirachi because they end up wasting Magnezone while I end up with a 100% Jirachi with several boosts. Not a problem against the rest of my team though, except maybe Politoed.

Mamoswine - Oooo this guy is strong. I try to get Starmie in on an Ice Shard, and fortunately most are SR and very weak. Ferrothorn can break the Sash with Leech Seed and then Power Whipe. Mamoswine is a big problem so sometimes I let Politoed take a huge chunk from EQ so I can kill it.

Metagross - Ferrothorn can easily switch in on anything except a CB Earthquake, in which case Latios and Landorus will freely hop in.

Mew - Really not a problem because not even Special Defense Mew can take Surfs in the rain. Starmie is a pretty good counter because it doesn't mind the burn. Nasty Plot is handled similarly.

Mienshao - Very strong. Jirachi can't take two Hi Jump Kicks but I can bring it in after something dies and try to get the paralysis. Like Lucario, it can't come in on anything but Ferrothorn, and even still Gyro Ball almost kills it. Sometimes I have to sacrifice something to kill it but it's not a big deal.

Ninetales - Politoed works just dandy, as does Starmie if I think it'll Toxic.

Politoed - Ferrothorn and Latios!

Quagsire - Ferrothorn, strong Surfs, Latios... no problem!

Reuniclus - Jirachi beats all Calm Mind variants. Trick Room is a HUGE problem, but it has trouble setting up. I usually have to predict around Psychic, Shadow Ball, and Focus Blast if it gets a Trick Room up.

Roserade - Latios, Jirachi, and Ferrothorn are good switch ins. I don't mind Ferro taking the sleep.

Rotom-C - Can be a bit annoying, but Latios helps a lot here. I try to wear it down with repeated Surfs.

Rotom-W - Latios is my first switch in. I play around between Ferrothorn and Latios to counter it, but it's usually just switching in on Politoed and Starmie and taking 50% from rain boosted Surfs.

Sableye - Starmie and Latios are great if I don't switch into Foul Play because they don't mind Will-O-Wisp. Politoed also works fine too.

Salamence - Jirachi and Ferrothorn again. Scarf Mence is really popular, which is good for me because it can't touch Ferrothorn.

Scizor - Can't really switch in on much. They often come in against Starmie only to die to a Surf in the rain after Stealth Rock. Ferrothorn is the one thing on my team it's not afraid of, although Leech Seed + SR damage wears it down very fast. Landorus can eat U-turns, and Jirachi can too in a pinch.

Scrafty - Kind of a pain, but Jirachi works pretty well if I can get the paralysis. Please defer to Snunch for this one.

Sharpedo - Very scary if paired with Magnezone. If not, Ferrothorn beats it soundly. If so, I keep Jirachi at close to full health and pray it doesn't flinch me with Waterfall!

Skarmory - A complete non issue between my Surf spammers and Jirachi.

Slowbro - Starmie and Latios.

Starmie - Ferrothorn!

Tentacruel - Scald burns again are very bothersome, so I try to get Starmie in on it and Trick so I can either Thunder of Rapid Spin. Latios can do a big chunk with Draco Meteor and doesn't fear much.

Terrakion - Big big issue. Landorus is really the only thing that can take a CB Close Combat. Has trouble switching in on anything on my team, even Ferrothorn, but it can come in after a kill and put a hurting on my team. Jirachi's huge defensive investment can let it take an attack if my hand is forced.

Tornadus - Can't get past Jirachi, and Landorus and Starmie can revenge kill.

Toxicroak - Probably my least favourite Fighting Pokemon to face despite being weak to so many. It came come in on Starmie and Politoed with near impunity, while only fearing Gyro Ball from Ferrothorn. Jirachi is usually my counter, but +2 LO Cross Chop will put a huge dent. Landorus doesn't like +2 Sucker Punches but it can tank one in an emergency.

Tyranitar - Total non-issue. Scarf sets can trap Starmie and Latios if I'm careless, but it can't switch into either. CB is too slow to hurt me, while defensive variants are just inviting Politoed to come back in. Landorus is also a pretty safe switch in.

Vaporeon - Ferrothorn and Starmie do well. Really uncommon anyways.

Venusaur - They take a lot when they switch into Politoed, even from Surf. I have to play carefully when it comes in and it's sunny, but I can usually play around with Jirachi and Latios and come out on top.

Victini - Usually Politoed to weaken its moves with Drizzle. Requires prediction but if I think it'll use that Electric attack thing then I'll go to Landorus.

Virizion - Jirachi usually, but Latios is a nice option too.

Volcarona - Even in the rain Volcarona can be difficult to face. I keep Landorus healthy when I play them and try to make sure Stealth Rock stays up as long as possible. Jirachi can take a +1 Fire Blast in the rain and try to paralyze. I have a lot of 'checks', but of them I rely on Landorus the most.

Xatu - It annoys Ferrothorn, but it can't hurt the rest of my team and almost everything else on my team can OHKO it.

6A9 Ace Matador - hilarious dude who is great at mons to boot. you always give me the best dpp matches, whether it be ou, uu or ubers.
Aerrow - nice canadian boy with a great future. just stop saying 'um' and 'uh' in PM!
ala - another good canadian MAN. return to pokemon and join team canadia
Aldaron - we've had our differences but deep down you're a really good guy who cares a lot about this website. teach me math?
alive / cat - my oldest internet friend. i miss our long ass chats on the TU shoddy server. we were both pretty young back then but it was nice to have a pal to talk to because i was so shy. i hope you get more active again since youre one of my favourite users ever. come to canada!!
Ashley Young - good TU man, very strong at dpp and bw. im glad youre still around after all this time
Atticus - a massive canadian beast fresh off another dominant 3-0 wcop campaign. you're a hilarious guy who is actually one of the people that inspired me to join smogon after hearing about your frontier exploits at the faqs chat. a nice fella to talk to, whether it be about got, school or pokes
aziki - lol man you are one crazy dude. one of my oldest pals and probably one of the top 5 funniest users ive met. glad youve stuck around too. start playing pokemon again!
B-Lulz - it blulz!! a really friendly man, but i need some music from you
Bad Ass - youve gone through a lot and i really respect you as a person. youre a good dude
badabing - a strong bwer and a really good guy. it was great to get to know you this spl season because youre such a friendly fellow. AWOOOO
billymills - i still might need you as a sub. what you lack in pokemon skills you make up as a cool dude
Blightbringer - rofl i dunno how youre so funny but you are truly a one of a kind. youre a great pocket monsters player too. that politoed / garchomp / sharpdeo team is one of the best bw teams ever made imo. ur a boss
Bloo - ahhh where to begin with this one... over the past two and a half years ive gotten to know this guy really well. im glad you share my cynical sense of humour, and loling at stupid people/posts with you is probably the real reason ive stuck with smogon so long. youre kind of a nerd but you are somehow a great pkmn player . . . weird. everyone knows this lil guy is my closest smogon pal and hes a real nice fella that im lucky to know. now gimme my badge!!
Blue_Blur - another one of my old friends. i was really sad when you took your hiatus but im glad to see you back. youre an unreal dude and one of my closest pals online. i really enjoy going to big xats and just messing with people; we should do that more often
Bluewind - there doesnt appear to be a shortage of quality blue users. this guy is an amazing tournament player and really good fella. along with krack i think youre up there as one of the most deserving people for a trophy. im glad you like pretty asian men as much as me
bro fist - the strife of the cloud. i remember the good old days of pc101. im glad to see you around still!
Ciele - rukario72 is a very good man. i remember seeing you on TU destroying everyone but iris and being very impressed. one of smogon's nicest users and a great pkmner too
Colonel_M - a nice man. join c&c again and ill tutor you
DaPlayaFlow- your new username is much worse than this. anyways i love this man to death. one of the finest men on the internet that ive met. you once told me you wanted to do an exchange in canada and i hope you follow through with it!! i enjoy our irc talks "Heaps", especially when you come back not quite yourself. i hope things work out with the exchange girl
davidness - helo david! you are a very nice and cute user loved by all
Delta 2777 - a strong marrilander. its nice to see you playing in wcop again. im always here if you need help with ubers teams XD
DJXO9 - ah djx was one of my first friends i made when i came to smogon. i enjoyed trolling fatecrashers with you. return please!
Earthworm - lol this man is great. wormer is one the finest pkmn players to ever play da game. a lot of people dont know but youre actually a hilarious guy with more quirks than i can count. i hope youre happy with the trollfest bloo and i brought to the td channel . . .
ENZ0 - great tournament player and a nice fellow
Eo Ut Mortus - i felt bad that youre such a useless cretin so i coerced worms into letting you become a TD. jk youre a good guy, strong pkmn player but just not as good as me. probably one of the more intelligent people on smogon i think. help me and bloo come up with ways to troll worms more
Eternal - man where did you go? strong player and one of the first guys i got to know way back in our TU days. i always thought you were really underrated. return!!
Farmer - ah farms, what a great guy. this dude has been around forever and im glad to have gotten to know him. stop talking about those other games all the time and play pkmn
Fatecrashers - /me kisses fate. youre a sweet dude and great artist. as much as i love to troll you i am that i have gotten to know you :)
Folgorio - glad you came back after ditching us for so long. sry for trolling you last spl that was kinda mean. really nice and funny guy!
franky - this guy is unreal. one of my favourite users on smogon. never ceases to make me laugh, great at pokemon and he's canadian on top of all that. F is the Best
Giga Punch - thank you for teaching me 200. you are extremely enigmatic but i like it. no i will not read your porno anime
Ginku - a good honourary canadian. a great guy through and through. sorry for not telling rey to draft you in spl, i probably should have . . .
Gouki - my PokeIdol Bryan . . . strong and funny guy. maybe he shall return for WCOP ? stay tuned
Great Sage - damn this guy is so smart. i always thought you were like 35 or something. works hard to keep smogon on track and is very nice. not as good as me at randbats though
Grind Pantera - another one of my oldest internet pals. thanks for everything youve done for me, especially helping me in dpp way back in the day. as you can probably remember i used to be pretty bad, but you and stone helped me so much its ridiculous. ive always thought you were a better player than people gave you credit for, and despite your tempar youre a really great guy. one of my best internet friends, plz return to me
Harsha - nice fellow, glad to see you making it big here at the Smogon University
Heist - sometimes i cant tell if youre trolling or not, but regardless youre a pretty funny fellow and very strong at pocket monsters. great taste in music too!
idiotfrommars - grade A alcoholic; youre going to love college man. i promise ill read the game of thrones books some day, im just too lazy at this given moment. strong bw player and lots of fun to talk to
Iris - the one player i will admit to being better than me in every tier i play (except maybe bw ou on a good day???). the true dpp ubers master. youre a great guy, one of my closest pals, and im glad youre finally starting to play on smogon again. please tutor me in uu ru and nu
IronBullet93 - damn where did this guy go
JabbaTheGriffin - jabba is probably one of the coolest guys on smogon. you just straight up get stuff done. you will be an excellent lawyer after having to deal with smogon politics for so long. youre alright at pokemon i guess, and i guess that one adv team you made is Decent
Jackal - MIKEY! this man gave me a chance at smogon back in wcop 5 when i was just a lil 40 post TU man. its been great to play with you in wcop and spl for so long. this man has a bright future -- office bitch today, ruler of canada tomorrow. ty for everything, especially for the university advice. youre a great guy and one of my closest friends. hopefully i can meet up with you sometime!
JLei2k - ah my old friend jlei. as mentioned you were an incredibly gifted teambuilder and player. hope everything is going well
jumpluff - undeniably the nicest person on smogon. im not sure if you have a mean bone in your body. stop playing LoL and talk to us on irc more!
Kevin Garrett - im glad i got to know you after become a td because youre a really interesting and nice guy. im happy you finally got your trophy. seems to enjoy trolling earthworm even more than me and bloo, if thats even possible
Krack - this man is absolutely awesome. he's like lady bug, except hes more selective in his words. i hope to one day have a long conversation with you. a great pokemon player and always clutch for canada in wcop
kuja20 - my first tutor! thank you for putting up with me back when i was a complete noob. i still remember the first team i ever made that you helped me put together back in early 2010: azelf / forry / blissey / gengar / gyara / machamp. looks like created semistall before it was even a thing
Lady Bug - *Darkrai* is an awesome dude. a true thug who does not care what anyone thinks
Lakers - clutch as hell
Lamppost - another great bw player! you need a better password though, 0wNaG3 Ltu. a really nice guy who i enjoy talking to
legendary_07 - thug dpper
LizardMan - nice man and good pokemon player. youve improved a lot since i first met you. i hope you dont hate me . .. congrats on the win btw!
Loven - absolutely hilarious dude. your mugshot is just legendary. reports suggest that loven is the only known gouki slayer alive today
Malfunction - frend! welcome back! i missed your kind irc greetings
McMeghan - unfortunately youve earned the admiration of worms, which is something youll never be able to shake off. but real talk youre a crazy nice fellow and quite the player i must say
mostwanted - damn if canada qualifies for r2 and west doesnt youll continue the jlei curse. real talk youre a swell fella and a really nice dude despite deleting the posts of my fellow SJ fans. i wish you wouldve played for the great canada though :(
Nails - very nice man who i met through spl. apparently youre very strong at dpp, please teach myself and reyscarface so we dont kill the wolfpack anymore
Nitro / 199 Lives - one of my old marriland pals. i dont see you much anymore but youre a really nice dude and im glad youre playing this wcop
Noodlez - you caused me some headache in wcop but youre a really great guy. very strong player and nice fella to talk to!
Oglemi - another one of the nicest fellows ive met. great c&c contributor and really friendly guy to talk to
Ojama - i remember back when you joined smogon and tore through everyone in st11. you helped me so much in adv. very strong pokemon player with a feisty temper and a fiestier girlfriend!! je te taquine, mais elle est vraiement belle!
Oristeros - great underrated player. im glad you finally joined a tournament this year.
Philip7086 - what he lacks in height he makes up for in heart! jk youre a cool cat and nice dude
PK Gaming - up there with pluff as one of the friendliest people i've ever met online. you are ridiculously kindhearted and i enjoy our talks. never change dude
PttP - the great power to the pika. this guy is such a thug i was assigned to tutor him and he ended up tutoring me. you should go back to your old nick though, ballabrown is a little outdated
Rewer - ah revver is a really nice dude and STRONG player who knocked me out of battle city. i like this man a lot
reyscarface - my fellow wolfpack survivor. i used to be kind of scared of you because i thought you were like tito and would troll me for being from TU. a very very strong and well rounded player in adv/dpp/bw. nice dude to talk to as well, our got theories are almost always bang on
RODAN - give me your beard! your presence in #canada is irreplaceable
San_Pellegrino - really really really friendly guy. sorry i wasnt very active when i was supposed to tutor you. great contributor to the TR forums and a good dude all round
Snunch - i miss our game of thrones talks. i'm glad you blossomed into such a respectable user. if you return i'll stop making zuruzukin jokes
Sogeking - UH BRYAN???? a man who loves his true homeland. great guy.
Steven Snype - really nice guy and a great contributor to the tournaments forum
Stone_Cold22 - my second oldest internet friend i think. crazy how i've known you for almost 4 years. this guy was my old tutor back in the day along with sweep and helped me so much to improve. always a nice fellow to talk to and has been a great friend for all these years
symphonyx64 - nice dude that works hard for smogon. too bad you were too busy to host frontier
ToF - youre a good guy and a strong pocket monsters player. your tour performances this season were very impressive considering you didnt play in a bw tour lol. very angry man sometimes, but a nice boy deep down i believe
TEzeon - my old 'tutee' that was actually just as good as me :P. im glad you came back recently, really nice fella
trickroom - the best bw ubers player for sure. i remember telling jackal to draft you in spl2 and he was like "is 11k too much??". good thing i said no!
TV-Rocka - i love me my rocka. hilarious guy and great teammate
whistle - whistler is a very nice man. i enjoy our pkmn battles in the library. hopefully people will vote you into the next well as you would be a v interesting subject. good Man.
wilson46 - destined to become the next great canadian. my pick to follow in the footsteps of the great Atticus and Gouki and win the next frontier. youre a really nice dude and a great pocket monsters player. i am proud of my son will
windsong - strong RU player that recently quit and will be back in 3 weeks
yondie - i used to think you were annoying as hell but youre a good guy now that i know you. smogons #1 conspiracy theorist who proved the mortus and myself wrong many times
 

reyscarface

is a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Dedicated Tournament Host Alumnusdefeated the Smogon Frontier
World Defender
Awesome thread. Great team. Look thick. Solid. Tight. Keep us all posted on your continued progress with any new progress posts or threads. Show us what you got man. Wanna see how freakin' great, solid, thick and tight you can get. Thanks for the motivation.

jk good team GJ
 
I definitely prefer Pump on Toed myself, the lower accuracy makes up for doing 60% or so on stuff like Latios imo...

Jolly LO SD Sciz could be a problem (sets up on locked choicers). You have Starmie but if you're facing a sand team with SR and 1 Layer down, it'll be worn down quickly. I don't really have any fixes for that though without 'ruining' the team, and so my advice is just the generic 'hit it hard with whatever you have out'.
 

Lavos

Banned deucer.
I feel like sand stall gives this team huge issues, as SkarmBliss combo basically walls the hell out of this team. You cant really pull a Trick on Blissey because the common Scarf or Band Tar will come in, then it gets specs and you get another choice item, then you are pursuit trapped and die.

Other than this minor issue (which I am interested to hear how you deal with) I can see only a few other problems. Scarf Chandelure and Scarf Heracross can give you trouble I guess, but hell theyre UU. I might suggest Encore over HP grass on poli as CM Reun could give you some shit late game after youve already lost Starmies Trick. DD Haxorus is another uncommon threat but can 2HKO everything on your team with ease and Lando cant OHKO without a crit to revenge. If it somehow got to +2 you would be gone. DD Nite as well is a problem, especially outside of Rain. Physical dragons in general just give you hell despite two steels. DD Sub Gyarados flat out sweeps you if it gets off Intimidate on Ferrothorn. Gorebyss smash passing to mixrachi could be trouble. Baton pass teams can play around your offensive threats especiallypacking the big Vaporeon.

However I guess there are ways around all of these threats and this team would not be as acclaimed as it was if it couldnt handle simple issues. Commendable RMT, nice job.
 
248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spd on Jirachi in my opinion. Hitting the defensive jump point on Jirachi is important. Otherwise, great team.
 
It looks like Rotom-W on sand teams is a huge pain in the ass, because it burns Ferrothorn and Volt Switches out of Latios for an easy trap with Tyranitar, who isn't OHKO'd by HP Fighting; from there, it gives the rest of your mons major headaches, especially because after Latios severely weakens Tyranitar, you'll win the weather war and boost its Hydro Pump. A smart Ferrothorn also seems really hard to fight since it can freely spam Leech Seed + Protect on everything but your own Ferro, who your opponent can simply use as Spikes bait. Luring and Tricking with Starmie is a bit too risky for my liking, and it won't work if Ferro comes in on something else; I really wish you had room for SpD Bulk Up Breloom, as it fixes both these issues easily and naturally fits well on rain teams. I'd test it out and figure out who it fits best over through trial and error, although every member of your team is important and figuring out who to drop might be a bit of a problem.

I'd also strongly consider running Spikes over Leech Seed on Ferrothorn. I know from experience that the extra hazards are ridiculously helpful in wearing down those stupid Volt-Turn teams that do nothing but switch back and forth, and they also help make it really hard for your opponent to continuously switch into rain-boosted Specs Surfs.

I disagree with Lavos Spawn, who said SkarmBliss walls this team if Pursuit Tyranitar catches Starmie Tricking its Specs; however WishCM Jirachi beats both walls and defeats Ttar as well with a boosted Flash Cannon or two. It could be an issue if they're packing a solid Jirachi counter such as Heatran or Hippowdon, however.

Great team, I saw it in action several months back and it was really influential on me when I first started experimenting with offensive rain. You, sir, have earned a luvdisc.
 

Lavos

Banned deucer.
BKC, I was unclear, I meant SkarmBliss with proper support, i.e. sand stall, which I go on to mention.

If you ever see a SkarmBliss combo without Heatran, Hippo, Gastro, Gliscor, etc. supporting it, please let me know.
 
HP ice would be nice on landorus in order to beat +1 mence and dragonite without risking a miss. I know that opens up your breloom weakness but running more speed on politoed so you can outspeed bulk up might help. Great team in general though. I remember being demolished by this team in ST8, although you had an azumarill back then. I think over landorus
 
Lavos Spawn, I don't think Skarmbliss is as big of an issue as you think. Ttar has a hard time keeping sand up with the likes of SpecsToed, Specs Starmie, HP Fighting Latios, and Landorus flying around. Even Ferro has Power Whip and Jirachi Flash Cannon to slap it around. Coupled with hazards, I don't see how sand stall is a problem at all.

As for a carry over to the new BW2 metagame, I think the team holds up reasonably well to new threats. Techniloom is a major weakness however, with the most obvious change here Tornadus > Latios, but that opens a whole slew of problems in the loss of a last ditch check to Keldeo, and Sun + Chlorophyll abusers. I guess this could be played around by using something as sleep fodder and then revenging with Landorus. Scarf Landorus is actually surprisingly useful, being able to revenge Volc, Croak, and Mence...
 

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