Since Latias was banished to Uberland, I had to rethink my teams, who were based around Empoleon. I don't understand why people don't use Empoleon that much as a physical or a special attacker. With proper team support (DS or SR), he can a threatening mid-game or late-game sweeper. If you have any ideas on how to use this guy, don't be shy an tell me why you think people don't use Empoleon that much.
OK, on to the team!
A sneak peek at my team:
How I built this team:
WARNING: THIS IS A BIG CHUNK OF WORDS.
OK, Empoleon is my favorite Pokemon, so I decided to build a team around him. I was thinking Latias when I wanted something to take on his weaknesses. Unfortunately, she's Uber. So I decided Magnezone would be a great partner with Empoleon, seeing as he resists Electric attacks. But now they were both at risk of being raped by anything running EQ, so I chose Gengar to absorb their weaknesses. And it does the job quite effectively, since he's immune to Ground and Fighting attacks. Thus the "EmpGarZone" combo was born. Now I needed a lead to set up DS and take hits from nearly anything. It also needed to have an element of surprise. Torterra is rarely considered in OU, let alone as a lead! So I added him to my roster. I noticed that my team had decent Dragon resistance, so I wanted to add a dragon to my team. Salamence or Dragonite, Salamence or Dragonite? Well, Mence had huge power but lacked bulk while Dragonite had decent power and better bulk than Mence, so I added him to the team. That and him and Magnezone can resist all 17 types of Pokemon. If you're paying attention, now my team has 5 Pokemon. Togekiss came along as another immunity to Ground and a special sweeper. Now my team is complete.
Resistance chart:
Breakdown of the team:
Lead:
@Light Clay
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: Careful
EV's: 48 Atk\ 252 Sp.Def\ 208 Def
Moves:
~Reflect
~Light Screen
~Seed Bomb
~Earthquake
Why this Pokemon?
Well, like I said, I needed something to lay down DS and also be a surprise to anyone who comes across it. You don't see Torterra everyday in OU, so I thought that this could be his big debut here (hopefully). Now if it only had Baton Pass, I could set up the DS, dance, and then pass them onto either Empoelon or Dragonite.
Why the EV's?
I put them to give him decent Defense and Sp.Defense, and then a little in HP to help him take some hits.
Why the moves?
DS to help my team set up with no problem. Seed Bomb and EQ to attack with STAB.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
Maybe, if more people use Swampert as a lead, then I'm done for. Or if Machamp runs Ice Punch, then its GG. But for now, it gives me an Electric immunity and a good DS user.
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My favorite Pokemon:
@Muscle Band
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Adamant
EV's: 104 HP\ 252 Atk\ 76 Def\ 76 Sp.Def
Moves:
~Swords Dance
~Waterfall
~Avalanche
~Earthquake
Why this Pokemon?
As I said, this is my favorite Pokemon, due to its shape, excellent typing, and its an emperor, for fucks' sake. That, and I plan on using him for late-game physical sweeping, and he has great synergy with the team.
Why the EV's?
You may think that this is the "Swords Dance + Priority" set, and it is, but I tweaked it. Changed around the EV's to hopefully withstand some attacks while dancing, max Attack is to surprise anyone who brings out Blissey, and Swords Dance to take that 298 Atk into 596, then if I'm lucky, 1192. IF I'm lucky.
Why the moves?
Well, this is similar to the moves from the "Swords Dance + Priority" set, but I changed Aqua Jet for Waterfall for extra power and a good STAB. Avalanche to take on any Dragons, Earthquake to hit Jirachi and any other Steel types bar Scizor. I need DS to be up so I can set up much easier.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
Nope, and I'm not planning to.
----------
First counter to Empoleon's weaknesses:
@Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EV's: 252 Sp.Atk\ 252 Spd\ 4 HP
Moves:
~Substitute
~Thunderbolt
~Focus Blast
~Shadow Ball
Why this Pokemon?
First of all, I needed something to take Empoleon's weakness to Ground. Celebi would give my team a hard time with its own weaknesses, Latias was banned, and I couldn't think of anything else but Gengar. Immunity to Ground and Fighting, great Speed and Sp.Attack, this was the Pokemon I was looking for. Plus he and Empoleon and Magnezone have awesome synergy between them.
Why the EV's?
To compliment his high Sp.Atk and Spd stats, what else?
Why the moves?
Well, Substitute to scout for moves and Pokemon while taking out some and denting others, Thunderbolt to deal with any flying object, Focus Blast to hit TTar and Magnezone, Shadow Ball to hit Celebi with STAB.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
Maybe to a Swords Dance + Rock Polish + Baton Pass Gliscor in the near time, but that would make half my team x4 weak to Ice.
----------
Second counter to Empoleon's weaknesses:
@Life Orb
Ability: Magnet Pull
Nature: Mild
EV's: 76 HP\ 252 Sp.Atk\ 180 Sp.Def
Moves:
~Discharge
~Flash Cannon
~Hidden Power Fire
~Explosion
Why this Pokemon?
It creates good synergy with both Gengar and Empoleon, as they can come in and resist each others' attacks. It's also a good special sweeper, with its 252 EV's in Sp.Atk and a Mild nature, it has 394 Sp.Atk. It can also resist every type with Dragonite, something not a lot of Pokemon do.
Why the EV's?
This guy acts as my special sweeper and special wall. That's why I have 76 in HP and 180 in Sp.Def. I didn't care to put any in Speed, seeing as he won't be out-speeding anything in the time being.
Why the moves?
Discharge so I can paralyze at the cost of power, Flash Cannon to hit TTar and Celebi with STAB. Hidden Power to hit any Grosses and Scizors, Explosion to get out if I'm losing.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
I don't know. I might, if you guys give me good suggestions.
----------
2nd physical sweeper:
@Lum Berry
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Jolly
EV's: 4 HP\ 252 Atk\ 252 Spd
Moves:
~Dragon Dance
~Dragon Claw
~Earthquake
~Thunder Punch - Fire Punch - Ice Punch
Why This Pokemon?
Well, I needed this to complete the synergy my team has. And its a good sweeper after a dance, usually nothing can stand in its way. It has more bulk than Mence, and that allows me to dance in front of many Pokemon without getting killed myself. Under DS, I can dance up to 4 times without getting my ass killed.
Why the EV's?
To maximize its Attack and Speed stat so I can sweep effectively.
Why the moves?
Dragon Dance to raise its Attack and Speed, Dragon Claw for my main STAB, Earthquake for TTar and anything weak to Ground, but I'm at a loss for the last slot. If its Thunder Punch, Gyarados falls at my presence, Fire punch and no Steel types or Celebis can stand in my way. What do you think?
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
Maybe, I don't know.
----------
Rounding up this team is:
@Life Orb
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Modest
EVs: 180 HP\ 196 Spd\ 132 Sp.Atk
Moves:
~Nasty Plot
~Body Slam
~Aura Sphere
~Air Slash
Why this Pokemon?
Also another immunity to Ground. I got this to make my team more specially offensive. It can set up a Nasty Plot or two under DS or on its own due to its cool Sp.Def. I can annoy the hell out of my enemies with Body Slam + Aura Sphere, so long as Body Slam paralyzes on the first hit.
Why the EV's?
Invested a little in HP to take some hits, a bit more in Speed to hopefully outspeed some things, and a bit less in Sp.Atk so it has a decent amount to start with before I set up.
Why the moves?
Nasty Plot to set up, then Body Slam to STAB and hopefully paralyze, then Air Slash to flinch hax to shit out of anything. Aura Sphere for Lukes and TTars.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
If you have any good suggestions for a replacement, then I might consider.
----------
OK, that's my team! Hoped you like the format of it, although there are some descriptions that are somewhat small. Feel free to suggest any Pokemon to replace, any Pokemon to tweak, or anything you like!
Final look at the team:
Thanks for reading, don't be to easy with the criticism!!!
OK, on to the team!
A sneak peek at my team:
How I built this team:
WARNING: THIS IS A BIG CHUNK OF WORDS.
OK, Empoleon is my favorite Pokemon, so I decided to build a team around him. I was thinking Latias when I wanted something to take on his weaknesses. Unfortunately, she's Uber. So I decided Magnezone would be a great partner with Empoleon, seeing as he resists Electric attacks. But now they were both at risk of being raped by anything running EQ, so I chose Gengar to absorb their weaknesses. And it does the job quite effectively, since he's immune to Ground and Fighting attacks. Thus the "EmpGarZone" combo was born. Now I needed a lead to set up DS and take hits from nearly anything. It also needed to have an element of surprise. Torterra is rarely considered in OU, let alone as a lead! So I added him to my roster. I noticed that my team had decent Dragon resistance, so I wanted to add a dragon to my team. Salamence or Dragonite, Salamence or Dragonite? Well, Mence had huge power but lacked bulk while Dragonite had decent power and better bulk than Mence, so I added him to the team. That and him and Magnezone can resist all 17 types of Pokemon. If you're paying attention, now my team has 5 Pokemon. Togekiss came along as another immunity to Ground and a special sweeper. Now my team is complete.
Resistance chart:
Breakdown of the team:
Lead:
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: Careful
EV's: 48 Atk\ 252 Sp.Def\ 208 Def
Moves:
~Reflect
~Light Screen
~Seed Bomb
~Earthquake
Why this Pokemon?
Well, like I said, I needed something to lay down DS and also be a surprise to anyone who comes across it. You don't see Torterra everyday in OU, so I thought that this could be his big debut here (hopefully). Now if it only had Baton Pass, I could set up the DS, dance, and then pass them onto either Empoelon or Dragonite.
Why the EV's?
I put them to give him decent Defense and Sp.Defense, and then a little in HP to help him take some hits.
Why the moves?
DS to help my team set up with no problem. Seed Bomb and EQ to attack with STAB.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
Maybe, if more people use Swampert as a lead, then I'm done for. Or if Machamp runs Ice Punch, then its GG. But for now, it gives me an Electric immunity and a good DS user.
----------
My favorite Pokemon:
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Adamant
EV's: 104 HP\ 252 Atk\ 76 Def\ 76 Sp.Def
Moves:
~Swords Dance
~Waterfall
~Avalanche
~Earthquake
Why this Pokemon?
As I said, this is my favorite Pokemon, due to its shape, excellent typing, and its an emperor, for fucks' sake. That, and I plan on using him for late-game physical sweeping, and he has great synergy with the team.
Why the EV's?
You may think that this is the "Swords Dance + Priority" set, and it is, but I tweaked it. Changed around the EV's to hopefully withstand some attacks while dancing, max Attack is to surprise anyone who brings out Blissey, and Swords Dance to take that 298 Atk into 596, then if I'm lucky, 1192. IF I'm lucky.
Why the moves?
Well, this is similar to the moves from the "Swords Dance + Priority" set, but I changed Aqua Jet for Waterfall for extra power and a good STAB. Avalanche to take on any Dragons, Earthquake to hit Jirachi and any other Steel types bar Scizor. I need DS to be up so I can set up much easier.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
Nope, and I'm not planning to.
----------
First counter to Empoleon's weaknesses:
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EV's: 252 Sp.Atk\ 252 Spd\ 4 HP
Moves:
~Substitute
~Thunderbolt
~Focus Blast
~Shadow Ball
Why this Pokemon?
First of all, I needed something to take Empoleon's weakness to Ground. Celebi would give my team a hard time with its own weaknesses, Latias was banned, and I couldn't think of anything else but Gengar. Immunity to Ground and Fighting, great Speed and Sp.Attack, this was the Pokemon I was looking for. Plus he and Empoleon and Magnezone have awesome synergy between them.
Why the EV's?
To compliment his high Sp.Atk and Spd stats, what else?
Why the moves?
Well, Substitute to scout for moves and Pokemon while taking out some and denting others, Thunderbolt to deal with any flying object, Focus Blast to hit TTar and Magnezone, Shadow Ball to hit Celebi with STAB.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
Maybe to a Swords Dance + Rock Polish + Baton Pass Gliscor in the near time, but that would make half my team x4 weak to Ice.
----------
Second counter to Empoleon's weaknesses:
Ability: Magnet Pull
Nature: Mild
EV's: 76 HP\ 252 Sp.Atk\ 180 Sp.Def
Moves:
~Discharge
~Flash Cannon
~Hidden Power Fire
~Explosion
Why this Pokemon?
It creates good synergy with both Gengar and Empoleon, as they can come in and resist each others' attacks. It's also a good special sweeper, with its 252 EV's in Sp.Atk and a Mild nature, it has 394 Sp.Atk. It can also resist every type with Dragonite, something not a lot of Pokemon do.
Why the EV's?
This guy acts as my special sweeper and special wall. That's why I have 76 in HP and 180 in Sp.Def. I didn't care to put any in Speed, seeing as he won't be out-speeding anything in the time being.
Why the moves?
Discharge so I can paralyze at the cost of power, Flash Cannon to hit TTar and Celebi with STAB. Hidden Power to hit any Grosses and Scizors, Explosion to get out if I'm losing.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
I don't know. I might, if you guys give me good suggestions.
----------
2nd physical sweeper:
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Jolly
EV's: 4 HP\ 252 Atk\ 252 Spd
Moves:
~Dragon Dance
~Dragon Claw
~Earthquake
~Thunder Punch - Fire Punch - Ice Punch
Why This Pokemon?
Well, I needed this to complete the synergy my team has. And its a good sweeper after a dance, usually nothing can stand in its way. It has more bulk than Mence, and that allows me to dance in front of many Pokemon without getting killed myself. Under DS, I can dance up to 4 times without getting my ass killed.
Why the EV's?
To maximize its Attack and Speed stat so I can sweep effectively.
Why the moves?
Dragon Dance to raise its Attack and Speed, Dragon Claw for my main STAB, Earthquake for TTar and anything weak to Ground, but I'm at a loss for the last slot. If its Thunder Punch, Gyarados falls at my presence, Fire punch and no Steel types or Celebis can stand in my way. What do you think?
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
Maybe, I don't know.
----------
Rounding up this team is:
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Modest
EVs: 180 HP\ 196 Spd\ 132 Sp.Atk
Moves:
~Nasty Plot
~Body Slam
~Aura Sphere
~Air Slash
Why this Pokemon?
Also another immunity to Ground. I got this to make my team more specially offensive. It can set up a Nasty Plot or two under DS or on its own due to its cool Sp.Def. I can annoy the hell out of my enemies with Body Slam + Aura Sphere, so long as Body Slam paralyzes on the first hit.
Why the EV's?
Invested a little in HP to take some hits, a bit more in Speed to hopefully outspeed some things, and a bit less in Sp.Atk so it has a decent amount to start with before I set up.
Why the moves?
Nasty Plot to set up, then Body Slam to STAB and hopefully paralyze, then Air Slash to flinch hax to shit out of anything. Aura Sphere for Lukes and TTars.
Will I be changing this Pokemon?
If you have any good suggestions for a replacement, then I might consider.
----------
OK, that's my team! Hoped you like the format of it, although there are some descriptions that are somewhat small. Feel free to suggest any Pokemon to replace, any Pokemon to tweak, or anything you like!
Final look at the team:
Thanks for reading, don't be to easy with the criticism!!!
