DragMag and Friends
First RMT. The inspiration for this team came from two sources – The 4Drag2Mag built and the popular Offensive Momentum strategy(i.e. Volturn). 4Drag2Mag is highly offensive, but very inconsistent, so I decided to mix the two to test the results.
Team Building Process
Haxorus is the linchpin of the 4Drag2Mag strategy, as few nonsteels can survive and tell the tale of a banded outrage to their faces.
I decided to only have 1 Mag in the form of Magnezone on this team. This team is built to be a little bit more flexible than 4Drag2Mag, so it will suffice.
Scizor for the latter half of the strategy. Choice banded U-Turn to gain momentum and set up for the kill with my dragons. Resistance to ice is icing on the cake.
I needed more dragons, thus Dragonite was chosen on account of it being… very good at what it does. Its bulk and DD set differentiates it from Haxorus and gives me more options.
Not to go overboard, but the theme was still not complete with just 2 Drags, and I opted for one more, in the form of Choice Scarfed Special Mence.
Finally, to round off, Life Orbed Mienshao makes the cut. This thing probably surpasses Scizor in its ability to keep the pressure on.
Closer Look
Mienshao @ Life Orb
ABILITY: Regenerator
EVs: 252Atk 4SpA 252Spe
NATURE: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
MOVESET:
Fake Out
Hi Jump Kick
U-turn
Hidden Power Ice (IV: 30Atk, 30Def)
With the popularity of steels, I usually lead with him. Fake out then Hi Jump Kick if I predict a stay in, and U-Turn immediately if I sense a switch. Regenerator on this guy is one of the sickest things ever, and more or less negates the side-effect of its life orb. If I team preview a ghost on the opposing team, using him becomes trickier, and U-Turn usually becomes its only attack until the threat is eliminated. Hidden Power Ice coupled with its decent speed allows me to kill a majority of the rampaging dragons in the tier, as well as Gliscor and Landorus.
Haxorus @ Choice Band
ABILITY: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4HP 252Atk 252Spd
NATURE: Adament (+Atk, -SpA)
MOVESET:
Outrage
Earthquake
Brick Break
Dual Chop
If I don’t see a steel on the opposing team (Team preview really makes this team more viable), 50% of the time I lead with this guy, and the other with Dragonite. I usually just go for an outrage, which will put me up one or two pokemon before this behemoth is dealt with. With correct prediction, Earthquake, Brick Break and Dual Chop are used in the rare cases in which Outrage is not the best option. There is an emphasis on RARE. Of course, if I’m not leading with him, he is an immediate send in once I’ve dealt with all the steels or if the remaining steels are weakened enough to be within K.O. range.
Dragonite @ Lum Berry
ABILITY: Multiscale
EVs: 4HP 252Atk 252Spe
NATURE: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
MOVESET:
Dragon Dance
Outrage
Fire Punch
ExtremeSpeed
My other lead option if there are no steels. Dragonite is more flexible and thus sometimes more viable than Haxorus. Due to his Lum Berry and Multiscale, I am guaranteed a DD, after which I Outrage. If I don’t lead with it, Dragonite becomes a great pokemon that gives me lots of options unlike a lot of my choiced pokes. Fire Punch can be used with Magnezone to help me get rid of pesky steels. Extreme Speed is utility and can be used to combat priority. I’m contemplating whether to put roost on it or not at the moment.
Magnezone @ Choice Scarf
ABILITY: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4HP 252SpA 252Spe
NATURE: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
MOVESET:
Volt Switch
Flash Cannon
Thunderbolt
Hidden Power Fire (IV: 30Atk 30SpA 30Spe)
With a scarf, this thing can outspeed anything below dedicated 115 base speeders. Considering its job is to kill steels, and steels tend to be slow, more or less it moves first when I want it to do so. Timid allows me to OHKO 252HP Scizor 100% of the time with the added bonus of being very difficult to outspeed. Volt Switch is also great on it if I make a mistake and don’t want my opponent to set up on it. Volt Switch goes well with the Volturn strategy, but I rarely use it to the extent as to call it a defining aspect of my team. I am considering Rotom – W so that I can legitimately plant this strategy in my team, but I am not certain who I would boot in that scenario.
Scizor @ Choice Band
ABILITY: Technician
EVs: 252HP 252Atk 4Spe
NATURE: Adament (+Atk, -SpA)
MOVESET:
Superpower
Bullet Punch
Pursuit
U-turn
Offensive Pressure, a picture of this guy can be found under this phrase in the Big Book of Phrases if such a thing existed. Stabbed, banded U-Turns leave not dents, but holes in anything that doesn’t resist it. Bullet punch is great; the notion of having such a powerful attack that always goes first without the need of speed investment is a scary thought. Scizor can be a potential weak link in that if I get choiced into pursuit or superpower, despite it netting me a kill can spell my demise sometimes as it becomes a set up bait for one turn.
Salemence @ Choice Scarf
ABILITY: Intimidate
EVs: 4Atk 252SpA 252Spe
NATURE: Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
MOVESET:
Draco Meteor
Fire Blast
Outrage
Earthquake
Salemence to finish off the theme. Even though it shares its weakness to ice with its other brethren on the team, this Mence is completely distinguished by the fact that it is a scarfed special attacker. I’ve contemplated to use a more dedicated specially inclined dragon for the role, i.e. the fast Latios or Hydreigon, but it is the surprise factor of this beast that puts it over the top. Very rarely will my opponent be able to decipher the fact that it is both scarfed and specially dedicated, and that mistake will usually net me a kill. Surprise factors can only be useful for so long in a battle though, by that I mean they become useless the moment the secret is revealed. To remedy this, intimidate is great on Salemence. The utility of intimidating a pokemon with an incoming fighting move and retaliating with an ultra-fast Draco Meteor really illustrates the versatility and deadliness of this set despite it being scarfed.
Threats
This team is allergic to dedicated stall teams, but more importantly, those with people who know how to use them. Due to the heavy reliance on choice items in this team, Stall can run circles around it with good prediction. However, without the choice items, I feel that my team wouldn’t have enough raw power to effectively pull off its main strategy, but I could be wrong.
The threat list is in very much in need of assistant. I have ideas from playing the team, but no definite one has manifested in my mind, let alone paper as of now.
Conclusion
This isn’t a perfect team by any means. I maximize my trade for power with flexibility, and a one wrong move is amplified so much more on this team then on other more well-rounded teams. Luckily, dragon is resisted by only steels, and if they are eliminated or were never present in the first place, flexibility becomes a less pressing issue. This team is a blast to play, and hopefully more so as it improves with the help of you guys’ suggestions and critiques.