Introduction:
Hello Smogon, this is one of my favorite teams, and it has been quite successful for me. It has been on the leaderboard a few times over the past few monthes, and this was my ST6 tournament team. The main gameplan of this team is to use Skarmory as an effective Spiker/Stealth Rocker and set up plenty of hazards to make it easy for Sub-Pain Split Gengar to sweep weakened teams. This team debuted Sub-Pain Split Gengar prior to Phil posting his analysis on it. Since then, there have been many people trying it out, and I like to think that my team's success on the ladder influenced its popularity.
I made the team with help from Philip7086 back on December 22nd, and that is where I will begin the team making process.
Phil asked me what kind of team I wanted to make, and I answered Bulky Offense. I also wanted to use a creative idea, because in my mind, six standard sets is the quickest way to be outpredicted and lose a Pokemon match. So, during one tutoring session, Phil and I were brainstorming team ideas for which Pokemon to make a team on, and I had no creative ideas. That's when Phil mentioned a new Gengar set he had been using, which was Sub-Pain Split. At first I was very skeptical about the whole idea of the set. I didn't know what Pain Split did at the time, and I had never used Gengar to any success. Focus Blast tended to miss whenever I needed it to hit which was not a plus for Gengar either. I gradually began to see the potential benefits of the set, and it is, in my mind, the most effective Gengar set hands down.
Eventually, I decided to roll with the idea because I was enlightened to its greatness, and Phil suggested two Pokemon that would go really well with this Gengar. Heatran was the first, as it draws Fighting and Ground type attacks, both of which Gengar can come in for a free Attack or Substitute. The second Pokemon was a Spiker to allow Gengar to sweep a weakened team. He said it was up to me to decide ont the last three and a half slots to complete the team.
Heatran's set was up for debate in my mind, and I thought of a Sub Roar set which proved to be far more effective than I ever thought. I will explain it in more depth in the analysis.
So, I decided to think. I pulled up the Marriland team builder, and started thinking of synergy partners for the team. The first Pokemon that I wanted to cover was the Spiker. I had a choice of Skarmory, Forretress, Roserade, and some other scrub Pokemon. I decided that I liked Skarmory most out of any of the aforementioned choices because it had the ability to Whirlwind and Recover health. Forretress is a weak Pokemon, so I naturally decided to not go with it. Also, Spiker Roserade seemed to have little advantage over the other two Spikes users, and therefore I decided against it. As a plus for Skarmory, two of the top leads in the OU metagame are Swampert and Metagross who are basically a free layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock.
I wanted the next Pokemon to be a great switch in to a lot of threats while still being able to deal out a lot of damage with its attacks. I had recently seen Choice Specs Latias, and I was immediately interested. It had excellent typing being able to resist attacks from Heatran and Infernape who are annoying to face with Skarmory. With Choice Specs equipped, Latias reaches a mammoth Special Attack stat, and when used in conjunction with Stealth Rock and Spikes, it would hit like a truck.
Kingdra came to me as a spontaneous thought. The team needed some general Water resistances, and Kingdra's typing was excellent. On a side note, the team also has a little bit of issues with Rapid Spin Starmie, and Kingdra is an excellent Pokemon to Set-up on it.
So, for the last spot, I wanted a sort of "catch all" Pokemon that I could send in and count on it to do its job. It is my Pokemon that I can send out in a tight match, and it will do its job with high efficiency. Jirachi is one of those Pokemon that I can send out after a double KO where my opponents Pokemon and mine both die, and it will come out on top. So that is the main reason we decided to add Scarf Jirachi to the mix.
So, with that, I returned to our next tutoring session, and I explained my reasoning for the Pokemon I added. Overall, I like to think Philip7086 was impressed with the team and how it turned out.
An in depth view of the team and its members:
Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SDef
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Whirlwind
- Roost
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
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Intro to the set:
So, Skarmory was the candidate best suited to lead off the match for our team. At first, I was worried about its potential effectiveness. When we made the team, Skarmory's useage stats as a lead were "25 | Skarmory | 10101 | 1.23%." I even got one comment from an opponent I was facing on the leaderboard, "Skarmory, the worst of leads." I soon found out that it is a great lead. Two of the most popular leads in the Metagame are Swampert and Metagross, and they allow me to set up a free layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock because they can't touch Skarmory and its high defenses.
Basically, Skarmory is such a great lead, that if it does its job, and gets a up a layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock, my opponent can rarely ever come back in the match unless they have a spinner, which isnt the most difficult thing to play around. I am also not afraid to Sacrifice Skarmory to get these aforementioned layers, and they are a critical part of the teams success.
Moves, Set and Spread:
To me, the 4 moves for this set were fairly obvious. I chose Stealth Rock because I wanted to start the match with it, and I didn't want to waste another of my team member's moveslots with it. Spikes were a given, and the sole reason Skarmory makes an appearance on the team. Roost is an excellent move that allows me to switch in effectively and counter strong attackers like Agiligross, Tyranitar, Gyarados without Taunt, and the ever popular Scizor. Whirlwind is another effective move, and with some prediction, it can be hell for my opponent to get a counter in without it being sent away and taking Stealth Rock and Spikes damage. One other overlooked benefit of Whirlwind is that it makes Wish passing incredibly difficult. Vaporeon has to make a choice whether or not to stay in and heal itself, or just take a risk and hope the wish benefits the switch in that Whirlwind just brought in. Also, CM Wish Jirachi is rendered pretty useless before it gets a CM or two, as odds are, it wont be able to pass its Wish to the intended target.
I chose a Special Defensive spread for Skarmory because its defenses are high enough to switch in and counter what I need it to, and it is able to take on many Special Attackers at the same time. If I remember, a Specs Latias' Surf does only 50% to this Skarmory variant, and when used with Leftovers, I can Roost off damage effectively. Skarmory is also a great switch in to Draco Meteors, and with the Special Defense spread, it is able to shrug of the damage with roost. I chose Leftovers over Shed Shell because it gives me that extra little boost in recovery, which rarely goes unneeded. Suddenly, threats like Agility Metagross with Life Orb Thunder Punch can be stalled out with roost because it can only do about 55% damage with its attacks.
Game Plan:
Skarmory is not the easiest Pokemon to use. It requires a fair amount of intuition to wield effectively. Knowing whether to take advantage of the opposing Pokemon as setup bait, and knowing when to Whirlwind the switch in is a skill that maximizes Skarmory's effectiveness. Typically, I will setup 1 or 2 layers of Spikes along with Stealth Rock before I try to do any Whirlwinding. Occasionally, if I can see the opponent switching his Lead Celebi out from a mile away, I'll Whirlwind just to rack up some free damage. There are certain Pokemon that I will not take any chances with that attempt to threaten Skarmory. Salamence is one of those Pokemon. I will always Whirlwind it when it comes in if I don't know the set, because if it manages to get a DD as I switch, I'm in deep trouble. Dragonite is another Pokemon that I like to just get rid of, and deal with later because DD requires some effort to stop.
Here is a list of common leads and how Skarmory matches up with them. I will also explain what to do against each one.
Green = Means little to no trouble for me
Orange = Usually stops me from getting up layers, but not a threat otherwise.
Red = I have a lot of trouble with this lead
Azelf: Not the worst lead to see, and I will usually go to Jirachi as they Taunt me. From there, I have a 60% chance of Stealth Rock not being up thanks to Iron Head's boosted flinch Rate and Iron Head 2HKOing. Azelf only poses an issue for my team if it decides to Fire Blast, but Jirachi is not OHKOed which is a plus.
Aerodactyl: Pretty much the same strategy as Azelf. They Taunt, I go to Jirachi for a 2HKO, and I hope I get the 60% chance of no Stealth Rock.
Celebi: Celebi can't touch Skarmory, so that means that I get a free layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock. If it happens to stay in for two moves, (like Stealth Rock and Paralysis), then I will Whirlwind the obvious switch out.
Empoleon: When its a lead that is faster than I am, its really annoying to work against. I usually end up sacrificing Skarmory while getting up Stealth Rock, and try to wear it down Kingdra before bringing in Gengar to revenge it. A pretty big threat to work around for my team.
Forretress: A problematic lead. It has no potential whatsoever to take out any Pokemon on my team unless I play really rashly with Gengar. Typically I will just switch to Heatran for a free Lava Plume and hopefully some Burns.
Gliscor: Typically will Taunt me, so I usually just switch into Latias who immediately threatens its well being with Specs Surf. A cool note is, a 252/0 Gliscor is not OHKOed by Latias without Specs, so I will sometimes get some free KOs.
Heatran: The only lead that puts me at a huge disadvantage to start off the match. Sometimes, I am feeling ballsy, and I will stay in to Stealth Rock with Skarmory. That decision usually depends on how good I think you are. Most good players I have seen will not Fire Blast turn 1, so sometimes I take a risk and capitalize on that. Most of the time I am not feeling risky, so I will just go to Latias.
Hippowdon: Great lead to face. Automatic Stealth Rock and Spikes.
Infernape: Stops me all day. I may decide to play risky like with Heatran, but I don't see Infernape much from anyone notable, so I like to play safe assuming they are greedy and try to KO me turn 1. Latias is my main switch in. Kingdra is also very solid at countering Infernape.
Jirachi: Jirachi is a free Stealth Rock and Spikes if it is not a Trick Scarf variant. If it is, then I usually just set up Stealth Rock anyway.
Metagross: It is pretty much a Hippowdon clone, and I will just Stealth Rock and Spikes. I do have to be wary of Explosion, but its not that hard to work around.
Roserade: I usually will switch to Heatran to take the Sleep Powder. Then I will switch Skarmory back in to set up some layers. Toxic Spikes is not a problem for me because Kingdra is the only Pokemon affected, and it gets a free switch in thanks to Lum Berry.
Skarmory: Skarmory is treated much like Forretress is. I assume that it has Taunt, so I switch to Heatran for a free Lava Plume.
Smeargle: Smeargle isn't an immediate threat, so I switch to Heatran to take Spore. From there I will send in a Pokemon that limits how many layers it can get up.
Starmie: I am forced to switch out, and I try to KO it as soon as I can. Kingdra takes no more than 44% damage from any of its attacks, so I will DD, Sub to see if it stays in, and if it does, remove it with Outrage.
Swampert: Cannot touch me at all, so it is free layers of whatever I choose.
Orange = Usually stops me from getting up layers, but not a threat otherwise.
Red = I have a lot of trouble with this lead
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Latias (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf
- Dragon Pulse
- Draco Meteor
- Trick
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Intro:
Specs Latias is a set everyone is familiar with by now. The main idea is to come in on a Pokemon you threaten to OHKO and start launching off powerful attacks. The main counter to this set is obviously the omnipresent Scarf Tyranitar. Fortunately, Tyranitar is affected by Spikes quite a bit, and Surf is a comfortable 2HKO should Tyranitar choose to switch in. As a general rule of thumb, if Tyranitar comes in and is at risk of a 2HKOed while Latias is at good health (above a Pursuit KO), I will switch out.
Moves, Set, and Spread:
I chose Specs Latias because, with Spikes on the ground, it will score a lot of damage on the opponent. Choice Scarf Latias is too weak for my liking and it screams "Come here for a free KO Tyranitar," which is why I decided not to put it on my team. Life Orb Latias was an interesting idea that I thought about, but overall I liked Specs Latias's immediate Power and the ability to remove problem Pokemon with Trick. When you look at this set, you may be mildly surprised to see no Thunder Bolt. I chose to not have Thunder Bolt because it was much weaker than STAB Dragon Pulse unless it was Super Effective. Having a great STAB move that doesn't lower Sp. Atk is very useful and its great for sweeping weakened teams.
Game Plan:
Latias' idea is pretty simple. I use its nicely placed resistances to combat Pokemon like Heatran and Infernape and immediately threaten the team's switch in. Latias also makes a great all purpose check to other things as well. Switching in on Rotom-a's Thunder Bolt and threatening to KO with boosted Dragon Pulses is, many times, invaluable in a match.
Blissey usually ends showing itself early in the match when I bring Latias out, and I absolutely love to take risks and Trick early in the game. If I can get a successful Trick on her in the early stages in of the game, more often than not, stall is torn apart.
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Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
- Thunderpunch
- Trick
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Intro:
This is Scarf Jirachi. I believe most of you are pretty familiar with the way it is played. For my team, it provides a key Dragon resistance and allows me to revenge a myriad of threats. Taunt Gyarados surprised my Skarmory? Who cares? Revenge with Jirachi! Jolly is obviously so I can outspeed or at least speed tie with Dragon Dance Salamence, and with Jolly, I outspeed Agility Metagross with is pretty convenient.
Moves, Set, and Spread:
I have actually been thinking about changing the moves on this Jirachi. At the time we made the team, this was, by far, the most effective Scarf Jirachi set. Thunder Punch was mainly to kill off the annoying Dragon Dance Gyarados along with any other weakened waters like Starmie. Fire Punch gives me a great answer to SD Lucario and SD Scizor. Fire Punch can also pick off a weakened Agility Metagross at around 45% health. Trick rounds out the set and is one of my favorite moves. I typically won't Trick unless I absolutely have to against an Offensive team, but I like to unload my Scarf against a Stall team. Typically I end up catching one of their Defensive walls like Forretress, and that makes it much easier to play against.
I am open to new sets, because Salamence just figured out that it is beneficial to run + Speed. Because of this, I have a lot of trouble revenging it, and it can sweep my team unless I can counter it with Skarmory while its stuck on Outrage.
Game Plan:
Jirachi is an insurance plan for this team. For random setup Pokemon, Jirachi is my main answer. Tyranitar gets Iron Headed and Gyarados gets Thunder Punched, etc. Furthermore, I like to think of Jirachi as my backup Tricker. I tend to play it conservatively, and only Trick when I feel like it is needed. If I am playing a stall team, I don't mind giving up the Scarf to render one of the opposing walls useless. For example, if I am facing a Semi Offensive team, and Suicune is setting up on me, I will Trick with Latias before I try to Trick with Jirachi.
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Kingdra (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Waterfall
- Outrage
- Substitute
- Dragon Dance
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Intro to the Set:
Kingdra seems a little out of place at first glance on this team, but, in reality, it is a very important member. Many times, when my other members can't seem to handle a particular threat, Kingdra comes and does a fantastic job countering whatever is giving me problems. As previously mentioned, it is a great switch in to Starmie, and it can easily dispose of it via Outrage. It is also just a fantastic Fire/Water/Steel counter with its great typing. If Latias happens to be at low health, and it cannot afford to switch into Heatran, Infernape, and other Pokemon like them, then Kingdra fills that role quite nicely. Also, if I deem it necessary, Kingdra can setup on the pesky Tyranitars that Pursuit my Latias.
Moves, Set, and Spread:
Originally, I was thinking about using Rain Dance Kingdra which is a really good Pokemon. It turns out that Phil and I didn't know a good EV Spread, and we didn't like the spread on the analysis. For the time being, we decided to go with Lum DD Kingdra, which in my opinion, is a very underrated Pokemon. Waterfall and Outrage provide for awesome coverage only resisted by Pokemon no one uses (see Shedinja) and Empoleon. Dragon Dance is clearly for boosting Kingdra's rather average Speed and Attack stats, and Substitute can really play mind games with your opponent if you use it correctly. I managed to win one important match when I correctly used Sub to avoid a Twave, and snatch a second Dragon Dance which proved to be the deciding factor.
Game Plan:
Kingdra's game plan will change many times during the match according to how it is going. If I am playing conservatively, Kingdra usually won't make an appearance unless Latias is at low health, or I get a free Substitute. Generally speaking, I will use Kingdra to open the match wide open if I get an opportunity, but I wont try to force Kingdra into play and try to make something happen unless I absolutely have to. If I get the chance to set-up on an unfortunate Scarf Jirachi locked into Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, or Iron Head, then so be it, but unless a situation like that arises, Kingdra will sit back and enjoy the match.
Kingdra is also a sort of last chance Pokemon for my team. When all is lost in a match, I will try my best to sacrifice something to give Kingdra a favorable matchup coming in. Kingdra has saved my butt many times when I cannot open a hole in the opposing team, and once it gets in a Dragon Dances, it is quite the effort to get rid of. Sometimes, its too much effort and will just sweep outright, or it will give another Pokemon on my team an opening to exploit the other team.
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Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 244 HP/220 Spd/32 SAtk/12 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Roar
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Lava Plume
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Intro to the Set:
Wow, weird set, huh? This is perhaps one of the best Heatran sets I have ever used. Heatran has so many resistances that it can switch in for free on, and immediately threaten the opposing Pokemon with a KO. The main idea for this set is to use Heatran's bulk to Substitute while the opponent switches out or cannot break Heatran's sub. From there, the switch in will be dealt with in one of two ways. If the Pokemon is something that Heatran can KO with either Lava Plume or Earth Power, then it will be obliged to do so. However, most of the time, the switch in is something that deals reasonably well with Heatran (like Swampert), in which case I will just use Roar and rack up Spikes and Stealth Rock damage. It is quite surprising how many times Heatran will Roar away the Pokemon that comes in to counter it, only to find that the Roar switch in is something Heatran can get another Substitute and repeat the process with.
Moves, Set, and Spread:
To be honest, I never even considered another Heatran set to use on this team, and I will not be considering a new set. This Heatran fits the team so well it is unbelievable. Lava Plume and Earth Power are mainly for coverage which is fairly self explanatory. Substitute gives me a way of safely Roaring away counters that would otherwise KO me before I could send them away. Roar makes the set so special and effective when used in tandem with Spikes and Stealth Rock support. Counters find themselves taking 25% from Spikes and 12% from Stealth Rock amounting to 37% damage. On top of this, they cannot stop my Roar unless they have Taunt, which is rare, so the next time they switch in, they will be down a cumulative 74% without ever laying a hit on me.
The EVs are from Philip7086's Torment Tran spread, and they allow me to take Rotom-a's Thunder Bolts like a pro. I can even survive a Life Orb Starmie's Surf with the given EVs, and ideally retaliate back with Earth Power. 220 Speed EVs allow me to outspeed neutral base 70 speed Pokemon, most notably Metagross and Breloom. And, to round out the spread, Calm allows for maximum ability to take hits from the Special side of the spectrum while attack is unneeded due to not having Explosion.
Game Plan:
Heatran's goal is to rack up as much damage to the opposing team's counters as possible before going down. Generally, Heatran will be KOed at some point during the match, but more often than not, it will have significantly softened up the other team. Heatran provides me a great switch-in to Pokemon like Jirachi, Rotom-a, Magnezone, Non-Boosted Metagross, Skarmory, Scizor, and Zapdos.
For the most part, I will Roar away potential Dragon Dance Setup sweepers. This means that if I am up against a Salamence, and I am unaware of its moveset, then I will Roar. The same goes for Gyarados and Tyranitar although they don't pose the immediate threat that Salamence does thanks to Jirachi.
Heatran also serves as my status platform. Most of the time, if Skarmory is facing a sleep lead, Heatran is usually picked to take the sleep. It is immune to Toxic thanks to its Steel typing, and Thunder Wave is not too bad to absorb with Heatran. Thunder Wave does limit the amount of Subs I can make, and I will be forced to use my brain and predict a little more as to what the switch in will likely be.
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Gengar (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Pain Split
- Substitute
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Intro to the Set:
This set is so good in the end game, it's unreal. The whole idea of the set is to get Gengar in the game on something that it can force out or OHKO. From there, if the opponent isn't obviously staying in, I substitute and the decide how to deal with the switch in from there. If the switch in is something that I can KO from Spikes damage, which it is, more often than not, and I click the appropriate move. If the opponent is out of Gengar's KO range, but it can be 2HKOed, I'll usually make a judgment on whether its worth it or not to get the KO, or Pain Split back to good health and switch to an appropriate counter. One special niche this Gengar possesses is the ability to take on Blissey. Any Blissey with over 50% health remaining is basically a free full Health recovery. It can also take on Scizor from behind a Substitute, and Focus Blast First turn, then stay in on Pursuit and Focus Blast again, or exit to the appropriate counter with Bullet Punch.
Pain Split is also special because it makes taking on stall much easier. Blissey is the main Gengar counter on a Stall team, and it is unable to touch Gengar in the slightest. Instead, I can safely Pain Split from the comfort of my Substitute while Blissey wastes valuable Wish PP. In addition, the new fad, Gliscor, is unable to do anything to stop Gengar which usually means a free Shadow Ball, Substitute, or Pain Split before Gliscor can Taunt me.
Moves, Set, and Spread:
For such an effective set, its set is pretty simple. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast provide unresisted coverage, which, when combined with Spikes, is hard to beat. Focus Blast's accuracy is pretty lame, but it is absolutely necessary for the set to work efficiently. Hidden Power Fighting wouldn't do nearly enough to anything when compared with the extra 50 Base Power I receive at the cost of 30% accuracy. Over many battles, Focus Blast's power makes up for its bad accuracy with the amount of potential KOes it opens up for me. Substitute and Pain Split are the moves that define the set. As described earlier, Substitute provides a shield and allows me deal with a switch in much easier. Pain Split gives me a reliable recovery move if I find myself low on health. Which is not uncommon with Life Orb, Sandstorm, and Gengar's paper thin defenses. The EVs are the basic EVs for any Gengar. They allow me to hit as hard as possible because there is no sense in investing in Gengar's nonexistent Sp. Def and Def.
Game Plan:
The game plan is simple: Await the end game, come in on a resistance/KO and dominate the rest of the match. Once I get Gengar in successfully, and Spikes are on the field, its pretty much "gg." Gengar + Heatran are excellent synergy partners where each is able to come in on most of the other's resistances. I try to not expose Gengar until I am sure most of the opposing team can be taken care of. Gengar's STAB Shadow Ball is extremely powerful, and can almost OHKO Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. Genar also acts as a nice late game revenge killer for things like Mix Infernape since most Pokemon don't have as a high a Speed Stat. Gengar can also serve as a nice Lucario counter since its faster and is immune to Extreme Speed.
Conclusion:
This team has been a lot of fun to play with, and it was a lot of fun to make. With Latias' departure from the metagame, I don't have much use for it unless I need a team for a Blast to the Past match of DPPt. And, a big thank you to Philip7086 who helped me with making this fantastic team!
The Threat List:
-Initial Switch: Usually, depending on the situation, Heatran or Skarmory do a quality job handling anything that Scizor has to offer. Typically I'll scout it, and figure out what its likely to do next time it makes an appearance with Skarmory.
-SD Variant: Jirachi has the ability to Fire Punch, and Skarmory can whirlwind it away. Heatran walls SD Scizor all day while it can only Bullet Punch. I usually will Sacrifice whatever is not needed in the match to get one of the three in to beat it.
-CB Variant: Ever so predictable, and ever so resisted by my whole team really. Latias is the only one that wont come in unless I need a Sacrifice victim, and its setup bait for Heatran, Gengar, and Skarmory.
-Initial Switch: Pretty annoying to predict around. Typically it comes in on Skarmory or Heatran, and I will just have to phaze it away. I dont really have a switch in, but then again, who does?
-MixMence: Latias keeps Mix Mence in its place, and Gengar OHKOes after Stealth Rock and a little damage. Jirachi outspeeds and threatens to KO with Flinching Iron Heads.
-DDMence: A complete pain. Once it sets up a Dragon Dance, I need Jirachi to revenge kill it, or I need to lure it into Outrage, then Phaze it away. It doesn't get many chances to setup, but when it does it can be troublesome.
-SpecsMence: I usually don't figure out that it is Specs Mence until something on my team takes an absurd amount of damage. Once I learn that is Specs Mence, its not very difficult to revenge kill with Jirachi, Latias, or Gengar.
-CBMence: I hardly see many of these, but its dealt with in the same matter as Specs Mence. Depending on the locked move, I will usually either kill it with Latias or setup a Substitute.
-Initial Switch: Latias is very good at taking any attack Heatran has bar Dragon Pulse, so its my go to Pokemon. If Latias is not doing well in health, Kindra serves as a nice back up and easily beats Heatran with its STAB Waterfall.
-Lead Shuca/SashTran: One of the hardest Pokemon to play against. Sometimes, depending on how good my opponent is, I will stay in and Stealth Rock with Skarmory. Latias is my usual switch in however. For a more in depth description, check the Lead Analysis.
-ScarfTran: Something is going to setup, and its a question of what. Usually one of my Pokemon will get surprised KOed, but once I figure out that the oppenent has a Scarf Tran, Heatran gets free subs, or if they don't want to give Heatran those, Gengar will be happy to take some.
-SpecsTran: The same as Scarftran, except I have the option of revenging it vs. just setting up Subs.
-LO Tran: People tend to play their LO Tran kind of recklessly, so I usually find a way of Surfing it to death.
-SubHeatran: Latias mainly. It will have to take the Toxic, but I don't see many of these, and when I do they arent much of an issue. Gengar can revenge with Focus Blast.
-Initial Switch: Skarmory is the usual switch in as it can take plenty of hits from Gyarados. I'll usually just keep Skarmory in unless it Taunts me, in which case Ill send in Jirachi to deal with it.
-Leftovers DD: Skarmory takes it on with little to no trouble unless flinching becomes an issue. Jirachi revenges, and if I play intelligently, this should never go past +1.
-Life Orb DD: Jirachi and Skarmory. Pretty much the same as Leftovers DD.
-Restalk: It lacks power, and Kingdra can setup on it while it sleeps, or Gengar can 2HKO it. Latias hits it extremely hard too. Typically, Stealth Rock puts it in a position where it cant wall much of my team.
-Thunder Wave or Substitute: Presents no issue with Skarmory.
-Initial Switch: Heatran's Special Attack investment does wonders vs. Rotom-A. From there, Gengar can KO it if its not Scarf, and Latias can take it depending on the locked attack.
-Scarf: Heatran take shadow ball and Overheat, while Latias takes the ThunderBolts.
-Restalk: Gengar's strong Shadow Ball is too much for restalk Rotom-A, but I cant switch Gengar in. Usually Heatran just takes them on whether it be Roaring them away or Lava Pluming. Kingdra can setup freely too.
-SubCharge Beam: Roared away by Heatran before they can cause much damage. If not dealth with, they can pose a minor issue when behind a Sub.
-Initial Switch: It can be tricky to switch into Latias, and I will usually have a different switch in for each set once I know what set Latias is running. Typically, I'll scout it with Skarmory as long as I have some hazards up.
-Specs: Jirachi can come in on Dragon Moves, but I don't usually like to risk Jirachi to losing a lot of damage. Specially Defensive Skarmory takes anything besides Tbolt pretty comfortably, and it can roost off damage. If all else fails, I can speed tie with Gengar or my own Latias.
-LO Sweeper: Jirachi is a good answer, and so is Gengar or Latias as I have a good chance of winning at least one Speed Tie. If they dont have Tbolt, I can WW it away with Skarm and deal with it later.
-CM Latias: Pretty much dealt with in the same way as the Life Orb Sweeper. Its not a threat because I will usually respond before it can do a lot of damage.
-Initial Switch: Skarmory deals with it pretty soundly unless I get surprised by some Specially base one.
-CBTar: CB Tyranitar usually runs little speed, in which case, Skarmory can roost off even Stone Edge. Also, Gengar OHKOes with Focus Blast.
-LO Tar: Gengar or Skarmory. Basically CB Tar, but it can change moves and has more speed. Skarmory should be at good health.
-DDTar: Jirachi has to revenge. Or Skarmory has to WW. One of those two or I am out of luck.
-BOAH Variants: They are dumb. If it gets a Sub, its a problem, but fortunately, there's not much room for that to happen vs. my team.
-CurseTar: Focus Blasting with Gengar is the best way to deal with them. They can't touch Skarmory, so it can WW too. Last option is to Trick with Jirachi.
-ScarfTar: Heatran gets up free Subs and Skarmory can setup Hazards for free. If I so choose, Kingdra can grab a free DD.
-Initial Switch: Skarmory walls anything but LO ones with Thunder Punch, and in that case, they would need me at under 50% after the switch to win. Heatran beats all non Agility ones so its also a pretty safe switch in.
-CBGross: Skarmory is a nice switch in to anything that's not Thunder Punch. Then it can roost off damage. Heatran beats it with Lava Plume, and depending on the damage it already has, Gengar can finish it off.
-MixGross: I have never seen this. Heatran would probably do well, and Skarmory doesn't take that much from HP Fire.
-Initial Switch: Gengar, but I have to make sure he doesn't Crunch.
-SD: Gengar removes it as long as Focus Blast doesn't miss. Jirachi's Fire Punch is a safe way of revenging it, or if I come in on the SD.
-Specs: Gengar and it is no threat. Basically a free Substitute. It also presents no challenge to Latias since it cant change moves.
-Initial Switch: Latias takes any attack bar U-turn, so its my main switch in. Gengar can come in if I suspect Close Combats.
-MixApe: Latias revenges and comes in on almost any move. Gengar is a revenger.
-Physical Ape: Basically the same as Mix Ape, I just have to be careful of U-turn with Latias.
-ScarfApe: Typically I will bait it into either CC or Fire Blast, and from there its a free Substitute for Heatran or Gengar. If its played intelligently though, it can pose an issue.
-Initial Switch: Heatran comes in to any type. Skarmory can take any non special ones. And Kingdra doesn't take much damage from any attacks, so its always a safe switch.
-Scarf Jirachi: Heatran loves to come in and setup all over Scarfed Jirachi. Skarmory does too since most are physically based.
-Expert Belt Jirachi: It can be tricky, but Heatran and Skarmory wall the set, so unless they are both gone, its no issue.
-CM Jirachi: Heatran roars it out. Skarmory can take it while at high health and before it gets too many CMs.
-Support Jirachi: Heatran and Skarmory. It is the same as Expert Belt just no attacking ability.
-Initial Switch: I don't have a real switch in to Gengar. It can 2HKO pretty much any member of my team, but my best bet is to get Jirachi in and outspeed for the KO.
-LO Gengar: I have to deal with it via Jirachi's Scarfed speed. Usually I will have to sacrifice something. I'll be willing to risk speed ties against it.
-ScarfGengar: I hardly ever see these, and depending on move choice, it lets something setup depending on its move choice.
-SubGengar: A real trouble. Something is going to die if it gets a Sub up, and I better hope I can take down the Sub to get Jirachi in. I try to not let Gengar get this opportunity even if it means sacrificing something to prevent it from getting a Substitute.
-Initial Switch: Skarmory all day. Completely walls Swampert. If Skarmory is dead, Latias is a good backup plan.
-Standard Mixpert: Skarmory sets up on it. Latias has nothing to fear besides Ice Beam, which isn't much of an issue with its high Special Defense.
-CBPert: Again, Skarmory has no issues what-so-ever. Between all the resistances my team has, something will be able to switch in should I predict correctly.
-Cursepert: 2 Trickers (Jirachi and Latias) and a phazer all have to be gone for it to successfully setup and sweep my team.
-Initial Switch: Gengar can come in on any move that isn't Twave. Blissey also finds itself unable to do anything to Skarmory so Skarmory will setup Spikes on it early in the game and Gengar will come in later on in the match.
-WishBliss: Gengar late game, and Skarmory early game. It is hard for it to pass Wishes with Skarmory around.
-Non-wish Bliss: I have never seen these, and I cant imagine it would be a threat to Gengar or Skarmory.
-Initial Switch: Usually seen as a lead. I'll just switch to Jirachi on the Taunt, and then Iron Head them for a 2HKO and hopefully they don't get Stealth Rock down.
-Lead Azelf: Just switch to Jirachi and Iron Head for the 2HKO.
-NP Azelf: Shut down by Jirachi (Hopefully I don't take a +2 Fire Blast). Its almost non existent thanks in large part to Scarf Tyranitar.
-Scarf Azelf: The question is, what will setup?
-Initial Switch: I dont have a real switch in to Starmie, but Kingdra is about as close as it comes. Usually I will let an uneeded member of my team die to get a full health Kingdra in and setup.
-LO Starmie: Hopefully they play recklessly vs. my Kingdra, and I can beat it. A problem for my team, and I have to rely on Jirachi to revenge it otherwise.
-Rapid Spinner: If its the LO Rapid Spin, it is maybe one of the biggest enemies I have to play against. If it's just a regular Rapid Spinner, it's not too much of a threat, and it can be dealt with by Latias, Kingdra, and Jirachi.
-Choice Starmie: Hard to beat, since nothing on my team outspeeds, and if it is played conservitively, it can revenge every member.
-Initial Switch: Harrass it with Latias would be the summary of my game plan. If I'm not mistaken, LO Surf doesn't OHKO, so a lot of the time if will just stay in and be KOed. It finds itself unable to touch Gengar too.
-SD Gliscor: Latias outspeeds for the OHKO. Gengar can KO it at under 70% health.
-Stall Gliscor: Latias and Gengar keep it in check.
-BP Gliscor: Very tricky to work around, and it will come to whether or not Gliscor gets greedy. I usually find myself having to Trick it with Jirachi or Latias while it SDs.
-Initial Switch: Can be a pain, but Skarmory messes up its Wish passing and compounds Spikes Damage.
-WishProtect Vaporeon: Skarmory stops Wishs from healing teammates, and walls it pretty much. Tricking it is a good plan otherwise should Skarmory be down.
-SpecsVaporeon: It can't switch in much thanks to Spikes, so as long as I correctly predict its moves, and switch to a resist, I'm good to go.
-Initial Switch: It's a dick if it comes in on Skarmory, in which case I will go to Heatran. Otherwise, Latias is a good answer because of the Tbolt resist.
-Substitute: Heatran roars them away while they have a Substitute up, or if Heatran is down, I have to rely on Latias. It is easily revenged once the Sub goes down though.
-Scarf: Might surprise me and nab a KO, but its pretty predictable and therefore, I can play around it. Heatran with high Special defense is a solid check, and Latias' Specs Surfs do loads of damage.
-Life Orb Variant: I have only seen these on Trick Room teams, and they have to be revenged mainly by Heatran.
-Initial Switch: Heatran has a high Special Defense Stat, and Latias does too. So one of those two depending on the situation.
-Defensive: Heatran's Roar and Lava Plume do a good job of making it a small threat. Gengar can revenged ones at low health, and Latias's powerful Dragon moves take their toll.
-Offensive: Latias to come in on Tbolt, or Gengar to revenge. Poses little threat.
-Choiced: Specs ones have thrown me off, and I don't have a real answer to them aside from Latias who wont enjoy taking boosted Thunder Bolts and a chance of paralysis.
-Initial Switch: Lead Machamp is so hard to play against with this team. I am forced to Stealth Rock first turn. Switch to Gengar to take the incoming Dpunch, switch back to Skarmory on Payback for a guaranteed Spikes. From there I usually Specs Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse it while Sacrificing Latias and revenge it at low health.
-ResTalk: Skarmory phazes it, but Ive never played one, so I dont really know what to do with it. I can't imagine Gengar would have an unusually tough time though.
-Substitute: Breaking the Substitute can mean that one member of my team at least is going to get KOed. Once its under 75% health, its easy to revenge, but until then, its a threat.
-Initial Switch: Skarmory comes in and walls it unless its Rain Dance. If it is Rain Dance, some fancy prediction and switching is going to need to take place and stall out the rain.
-DD Kingdra: It can't break Skarmory even at +2, So Skarmory has no problem. Tricking it is the other option if Skarmory is not alive.
-Rain Dance Mix: Kingdra is my main answer to Rain Dance ones since it has max speed which most mix Kingdras don't run. Otherwise, prediction is needed and I have no safe switch ins. Once the rain is gone, I need to revenge kill it right away, so switching in a way that gives me the advantage after Rain stops is a must.
-Initial Switch: It can come in on Specs Surf or Skarmory, and its pretty cool to just go to Kingdra, sub, and DD in its face.
-SubPuncher: I usually have to sacrifice something, but once I get the Sub down, its KOed easily. Latias is the main answer at full health.
-ScarfLoom: Let something go to sleep on my team, then either Gengar or Heatran will have its way depending on Breloom's move choice.
-Initial Switch: Heatran is my main switch in, but Gengar isn't too bad either if there are multiple layers of Spikes.
-Spiker: Harass with (insert Special Attacker on my team here). Trick works well too.
-Initial Switch: Skarmory makes a great switch in, and so does Heatran bar Earthquake.
-Standard Leftovers / Light Clay: I can't stop it from setting up really, but Skarmory walls it, and it can waste valueable screen turns that it works so hard to setup.
-CMZong: Trick it or Whirlwind it away. I dont think it should become any threat if I play intelligently.
-Trick: I dont know what this does, but I'll probably find out its Trick Bronzong after it Tricks me some unwanted item.
-Initial Switch: Skarmory takes anything from it really. Gengar can come in if I suspect Earth Power, and KO with STAB Shadow Ball.
-Defensive: Skarmory Whirlwinds for free Spikes and Stealth Rock Damage. It can't touch Heatran either so its plan is the same as Skarmory's.
-CM / CM Pass: Ill eventually Trick it, or if I learn it doesn't have Earth Power, I can wall it with Heatran. A non issue.
-SD Pass: Trick it with Jirachi or Latias since they both outspeed. Heatran can roar it away since it fears no attacks from Celebi, and neither does Skarmory.
-Choice: Latias walls it pretty much. Heatran can wall the set too if it doesnt choose Earth Power, and if that is the case, Gengar is a good to go.
-Initial Switch: If Skarmory is at good health, I will almost always go to it since it takes incredibly little damage from and of its attacks.
-Scarf: Skarmory is the best switch in. Unfortunately I don't have any other safe switch ins, so I have to go off what the opponent chooses to do. If I think and Earthquake is coming, Ill go to Gengar, or conversely, if I think Outrage is coming, Ill go to Heatran or Jirachi. If played well, it can be a good threat to my team.
-Band: Skarmory takes minimal damage from everything that isn't Thunder Punch and not even much from that. Thankfully, it is easily outsped by my team and thus easily revenge killed.
-Roost LO/Stall: I have maybe come across this once in my entire Pokemon career. Skarmory isn't touched by it and its well being is threatend by Gengar or Latias.
-Initial Switch: Whirlwind it in the early stages of the game with Skarmory to find out what set it is, then from there, Trick it with Latias or Jirachi or just revenge with Thunder Punch accordingly.
-Offensive CMer: It doesnt like to come into Spikes, and if it does, then I can typically 2HKO with Jirachi's Thunder Punch. Not much of a threat really.
-ResTalk: Tricking it with Jirachi or Latias is my main option. I have to make sure it doesn't get out of hand, because it can be hard to stop when played well.
-Roar: It's like the Offensive CMer minus any power. No threat really.
-Initial Switch: Ugh. Its actually a real threat to my team. Heatran's high Special Defense and Earth Power are my best options. If all else fails, there is always Jirachi to revenge.
-Specs: Something is going to get KOed, and its just a question of what because I have no safe switch ins. Latias doesn't even like taking boosted Thunder Bolts. A well played one will be very difficult to beat.
-Substitute: Roar it with Heatran and let Spikes do its job. Then it will usually be in Jirachi's KO range with Iron Head.
-Charge Beam: I have to deal with it quickly before it gets to +1 or +2. It if manages to do that, and Latias is not at very high health, it could be "gg."
-Initial Switch: If its Sub Petaya, Ill go to something that will break its sub, Sacrifice it, then revenge with Jirachi. It doesn't get many setup opportunities though. Other variants I play differently, and Ill explain them in a sec.
-Lead: Its a threat if it is faster than Skarmory since Skarmory is 2HKOed. Usually I dont have a solid answer besides breaking its Sash, then going to Gengar for a revenge kill.
-AgilityPetaya: Jirachi tends to stay around for the whole match, so revenging any variant with Thunder Punch is always satisfactory.
-AgilityLife Orb: Still revenged by Jirachi, and no threat of attack boost means Latias can take unboosted Ice Beams, and so can Kingdra although it can do much back.
-Specs: Who runs Specs Empoleon is my question. Ice Beam goes to Heatran, and Surf goes to Kingdra or Latias.
-SD: Skarmory walls it and can Whirlwind it away or Setup Spikes.
