Gen 4 Dirt

[PDC]

Dirt​

It has been quite a long time since I wrote a RMT, and considering that tour / frontier are over, I think its time I posted a team in which I actually built (surprising, I know). I gave this team to Tesung during Smogon Tour and he actually made it to finals (not exclusively with it, but I remember he won in semis with it which are pretty cool). He used it a lot outside of the tournament and said that he liked it a lot. While I never used it that much, I think its a pretty solid team regardless with a bit of unique traits mixed in.

Basically the team revolves around Baton Pass Zapdos + 3 sweepers, with a quick grass type SRer in Celebi and a cool wallbreaker in Infernape, which is very threatening even without an agility boost and a substitute to guard it. Unlike my other RMTs, this one is going to be rather short, nowhere near the length of The PDC Show, so hopefully you won't have to read through walls of text this time in order to get to the point.

LOVELESS (Celebi) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 32 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 220 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Leaf Storm
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn

The cool thing about Celebi is that it is relatively bulky and strong. Stealth Rock was something which I felt was needed on this team quite obviously, and I realized I had a huge weakness to water types like Suicune. Celebi usually stays alive a little longer so in that case, I do technically have this fast little bugger to come to my rescue in case of an emergency. Celebi has the Occa Berry for Heatran obviously, although it also helps against the occasional Infernape. Lead Celebi is rather interchangeable, you could switch up to HP Ice for Lead Dragonite or HP Fire for Scizor if you like > Earth Power. Relatively straight forward, no surprises here.

I named Celebi Loveless after a fantastic album by My Bloody Valentine. Starts the game off strong like Only Shallow does for the album.

READY TO DIE (Infernape) @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
Naive Nature
- Fire Blast
- Mach Punch
- Grass Knot
- Close Combat

Infernape is a great wallbreaker, especially for this team. After using a couple teams with it I realized just how cool Infernape is. I never really used it that much back in the day as I always thought it was too weak and worn down too quickly, but recently i've warmed up to it a bit in DPP. Regular MixApe really aside from Grass Knot, Infernape does a good job at beating down walls / bulky waters in preparation for Lucario / TTar / Suicune. Grass Knot is used for luring bulky waters like Swampert / Suicune etc which all block Lucario (to an extent) / TTar. Mach Punch is 100% needed here as I am very weak to DDTar, and if it sets up then I need to immediately get it into Mach Range if I don't want to risk Suicune. Usually TTar has a hard time though, as Lucario / Suicune / ShucaTar pressure it well. Infernape gains momentum against both bulkier slower teams, and faster offensive teams which is also really good for a team like this which has the main objective of passing an Agility with Zapdos.

I named Infernape Ready To Die as it really is a bit of a suicide wallbreaker which just does its job. (Mix walls, bulkier waters, selling crack)

REMAIN IN LIGHT (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 28 Def / 96 SpA / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
- Baton Pass
- Thunderbolt
- Agility
- Substitute

The idea that I built this team around, Baton Pass Agility Zapdos. Zapdos has always been a favorite Pokemon of mine to use (see all DPP tour replays) and no matter the set I always find it doing fantastic. This specific set lures in all the typical Zapdos switches like Tyranitar and Heatran (or Blissey), and by the time they switch in Zapdos is already under a sub. Once under a Sub, Zapdos can either choose to Baton Pass immediately, or Agility and set some speed up instead. If the opponent brings in Tyranitar then typically my switch is either Lucario or Suicune. While if they bring in Heatran, it is usually Tyranitar or Suicune. A DDTar behind a Sub is very dangerous, especially for bulky teams. The same also goes for Lucario, as teams who try to beat Lucario by out-speeding it will often lose a few Mons in the process of breaking the Sub then revenging it. CM Cune is also really dangerous under a Sub if it gets the ball rolling. A free switch to Suicune is a dangerous thing to many teams, espcially because of how well it does to demolish the typical DPP Builds as of recent.

zapdos sparks shit up in lights nigga do u really need an explanation (the talking heads made a masterpiece album)

ALICE IN CHAINS (Lucario) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Extreme Speed

MarceloDK slayer Lucario is good on just about any team, including this one. If it gets a chance to get a free sub from Zapdos it can choose either to outright attack or set up a Swords Dance. Any Pokemon is more deadly behind a Substitute, especially a Pokemon like Lucario who can absolutely sweep teams outright if given the chance. I can also choose to Agility Pass to Lucario which is also really cool. If I manage to get a SD up with an Agility as well it is most likely GG unless you're packing a Gyarados or something very bulky. Regardless, Lucario is a very menacing dog, and absolutely wrecks opponents if given even the slightest chance. Best to get this guy in on a Tyranitar so your sub doesn't break.

Alice in Chains is a Top 5 Artist for me. Lucario is a Top 5 Sweeper. Both hardcore, and Lucario is a steel type so it kind of fits!!!!

PURPLE RAIN (Suicune) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 112 HP / 196 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Suicune is another Pokemon I love to use no matter the Generation (Except 5), and CM Cune in DPP is dangerous Pokemon to play against. Give it enough Calm Minds and you're done for thanks to the sheer bulk / stellar speed of Suicune. I can usually bring it in from a Baton Pass on something like Heatran, although Fire Blast usually breaks the Sub Which kind of sucks. CM Cune regardless is a needed Pokemon on this team so stuff like DDTar / DDNite do a have way to be stopped, and cune is just bulky enough to beat both. If I get an Agility boost on Suicune then I can do a lot of damage to offensive teams as a fast Suicune is incredibly dangerous as it takes nothing from most priority moves, especially with this bulkier spread. As reyscarface once said, every good DPP team has at least 1 bulky water type.

Suicune is majestic and Purple Rain is a dreamy album, also Suicune is purple and a a water type so close enough.

DIRT (Tyranitar) @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch

And so we reach the last Pokemon, Tyarnitar. Predicable for a team like this, DDTar under a Sub is just way to good to pass up. When stuff like Heatran is so common, Tyranitar gains a big advantage in having the ability to switch in under Sand and simply DD up, especially when under a Sub. As we all known TTar is both a sweeper and a tank, one who helps with pretty much everything ranging from Zapdos to Heatran. Nothing really breaks this guy in one hit on the special side aside from a LO Focus Blast / Aura Sphere, which makes him quite the tank. Shuca Berry Tar was just put on because it was the first option that came to mind, although i'm sure that a Fire Punch Babiri version could also work. You could also even run Taunt if you are playing a Brazilian player!

I named Tyranitar Dirt after the Alice in Chains album, one of my favorite albums of all time.

Now that I look at this team its probably more than a fun team than a solid one, but w/e, cool regardless.
Replays w/ Team:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen4ou-22670 (vs Heist, lost in Smogon Tour Finals week 3)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen4ou-22669 (vs Rewer, beat him in a close game. Shows Zapdos + TTar)

quick rmt :] (named dirt mostly after because of the amount of tournament games i won while listening to Dirt the album)

 

[Tesung]

This team was a lot of fun to use. It was fairly successful in tour (especially for someone inexperienced in dpp like me). As you said, its not exactly the most consistnet; you have to do heavy damage with zapdos recipient to have a good shot of winning, but zapdos has rle good surprise factor and the team is able to do well vs most playstyls

 

[The Grand Babido]

this team is alright. i imagine it matches up well against most offensive squads but the biggest problem is easily your complete inability to deal with azelf leads. u just have no good strategy vs it... which is not ideal. in my opinion azelf and dragonite are the two leads u gotta have some form of strategy against, even more than machamp. u can handle dragonite to an extent with the occa berry and if its cb u got cune in reserve to revenge. cb azelf is obviously the worst azelf set for u to face. i assume ur strat vs azelf is to pop its sash with tyranitar sand and just attack, but if azelf comes in and like uturns out to infernape who then uturns on tyranitar back into azelf, you are 5-6 down and you don't even have a good switch into that azelf (who will prob boom on your luc/zap/cune, and then you're 4-5 down and can't set SR cause scarfgon/infernape are likely coming out next, although i guess u can sac celebi for sr in these situations... and be 3-5 down..). the other problem is that toxic spikes are going to get set against celebi/cune/zap and then ur pokes are just on even more on a timer. i doubt this squad would ever beat a stall squad with toxic spikes, hippowdon and a good ape switch. you're just gonna be getting phazed around and none of your pokes have any particular staying power and are all just gonna get whittled down by secondary damage

i guess celebi is just a bad lead. u should dump it for an azelf or a jirachi. both these pokes are going to prevent roserade from getting opportunities to switch in and both can do ok vs cb azelf leads. my recommended azelf would be some sort of colbur set. i forget the optimal evs, but u want to live cb azelf u-turn, roserade leaf storm, and spec bolt. sitrus berry is another cool option. there's an optimal set for it somewhere. jirachi is a more interesting choice cause you can tinker with it to lure grounds and use toxic / grass knot. u wanna at least outpace modest zap so u can sr, chip it, then force it out with ape.

also your suicune should max special attack unless you are aiming for some specific hp benchmark. but i think here its just a case of bkc-itis, and those evs probably make all your stats prime numbers or something, which is cool if you're eo ut mortus. the reason hpump cune became popular was cause it rolls like 100.2% min vs naive heatran. naive heatran is kind of dumb to use these days since u are sponging less uturns and more special attacks, but some people still use it, and overall the special attack investment on suicune is more useful. "As reyscarface once said, every good DPP team has at least 1 bulky water type." btw i disagree with this statement, and have a number of teams without waters or even water resists...

oh yeah, this is also probably the most gengar weak offense team i've ever seen.


honestly the team matches up cool vs some archetypes. breloom for example is gonna be completely useless against you. a lot of those starmie/heatran/flygon builds are just gonna get overwhelmed pretty easily too. u just need a lead that will give you momentum more of the time, and i suppose you need a better strategy against stalls. gengar is only ever gonna ko a couple of pokemon, but it is always going to get those koes. its up to u whether you want to deal with it or not. an idea could be to drop one of ur sweepers, or lead infernape and put a venusaur over celebi. he is one of the most annoying pokes for stall to face and can absorb toxic spikes. u can also leech blissey and then get in ape and recover any seismic toss damage from the leech. he'll give your squad some more staying power and has a lot of utility overall. however infernape is very useful as it is and putting him as the lead might be a waste of potential. just some things to think about

 

[PDC]

responding from mobile so it's gonna b short

thanks for the rate heist :) and yeah I agree that rachi or axels are probably better leads in gaining momentum, and also that this team is so incredibly weak to tspikes stall and gar. I probably should have covered that beforehand



also the bulky water comment was just a joke :p