Foreword
As you all are well aware, OR/AS is soon descending upon us. It is so close, in fact, that OR/AS Mega-Evolutions have started to appear in Balanced Hackmons. The X/Y era of Gen VI is coming to a close and, with it, the various metagames that have arisen in many of the tiers, both official or otherwise. This includes Balanced Hackmons... ESPECIALLY Balanced Hackmons.
As you may or may not know, Balanced Hackmons is a tier that allows the use of any item, any move, and almost any ability on any Pokemon (as of this writing, anyway). It also allows you to use mega-evolutions without their respective stones or even having to mega-evolve them first. So, if you want four Megalutions on your team, nothing is stopping you!
Hence, with the introduction of new Megas, namely the Hoenn legendary trio, and new abilities, Balanced Hackmons is now undergoing a serious upheavel and I have little doubt that most of the successful teams now will either have to change or die. Some might be fine with a tweak or two, but others... not so much. If mine doesn't fit into the latter category, then it'll definitely need more than enough modification to significantly change it if just because some new additions to the tier seriously outclass some of my picks now.
Anyway, this team is notable because it's the first serious X/Y BH team I put together and it's also the one that's lasted through everything that's been thrown at it. This team has endured the rise and fall of many threats, such as Electrify Gengar-Mega and Poison Heal Mewtwo-Y, and has seen many new additions rear it's head. Since the team was created, Thousand Waves, Thousand Arrows, Light of Ruin, Steam Eruption, Diamond Storm, Hyperspace Hole, Megas being able to mega-volve into themselves, Mega-Lati@s, Diancie. Hoopla, Volcanion, team preview, and most notably, the 510 EV restriction have all joined the fray. And, while it lost a little steam towards the end when the current fad shifted to wall-breaking nukes, it has endured everything thrown at it and seen more successes than failures.
But that's enough of a foreword. You're not here to hear me ramble, so let's get to the meat.
Strategy
As I was testing random stuff to see what sticked and what didn't in the new meta, the one thing I noticed was that most opposing teams were heavily relying on taking offensive momentum and rushing with it. Getting a little tired of my "test random junk" teams getting set-up upon and nuked before I could experiment, I finally caved in and constructed my first actual team.
I decided to create a team that was all about momentum control and denying it to my opponent. Inspired by the stall players of Gen V, I made a stall team that relied heavily on shuffling the opposition to prevent them from executing their strategy. However, with Defog now being a thing and the sleep counter no longer resetting, mimicking Gen V was not an option. So instead of relying mostly on rendering the foe helpless and killing them with hazards, I opted to apply pressure more directly, hence moving from full stall to semi-stall.
This team's strategy is simple: disrupt the opponent's attempts to launch an effective offense or defense by constantly forcing their Pokemon out, apply constant pressure to wear them down, and then send in a sweeper of my own to clean up the remaining Pokemon once I had created an opportunity for me to set-up. Things didn't always go as planned, of course, but the team could adapt and either lean more heavily on attacking stuff without set-up or just stall the opposition out.
Team Building
When starting, Regigigas and Giratina were the no brainer picks. Gigas was a posterboy of Spore-shuffling last gen with one of his Poison Heal sets and, while Giratina was a bit unpopular at the time since most people hadn't figured out how to deal with Kyurem-B yet, it had rarely let me down when it came to being a bulky support Pokemon.
Of course, I needed an option just in case I failed to stop the set-up. Cress was one of the best Unaware Pokemon in Gen V, so it was natural addition to my team. Plus, it has long since had the habit of getting into my teams anyway and only lately has it finally stopped being so sneaky.
Regenerator is an awesome ability that grants longevity to almost any Pokemon, allowing them to come in time and time again with little fear of getting worn down. After looking over my options, I eventually settled upon Kyogre, who was, at the time, probably the most popular Regenerator + Assault Vest user. I adapted a set for use on my own team and it's functioned extremely well ever since, especially in the face of Boomburst abuse.
Coming out of Gen V, I, like many other players, more heavily valued Magic Bounce than we probably do today. Lugia, despite also being unpopular at the time (and still is), was another bulky Pokemon who had rarely let me down.
The final thing I needed was a clean-up sweeper. One of my last projects before making this team was creating a set that uses a status orb without Magic Guard or Poison Heal. I had already come up with a prototype for such a set and it had been fairly effective on my "test random crap" teams. Now was the time to implement it on a real team and see how it held up in real battle.
Later on, there was a day where Arceus forms decided to retain their typing without Plate + Multitype. Gengar had been starting to annoy me and the triple Ghost/Dark weakness between Lugia, Giratina, and Cress was starting to become noticeable when Yveltal started seeing some usage too. Arceus swapped in for Cress and, during that day, it performed Cress' job admirably. And then the next day the change was reverted, so, after guest starring on my team, Darkeus left and Cress came back on.
A bit later on, once Yveltal's defensive capabilities became more clear to the community, and opposing Gengar and Yveltal continued to exist, I finally decided to make this swap. Yveltal isn't quite as bulky as Lugia, but not getting nuked to hell by Judgements, Knock Offs, and Night Dazes was definitely appreciated. While it took on Lugia's support moveset, my opponents did not know that and were often sent scurrying away in fear of a Sucker Punch I didn't have.
Team Breakdown
Vaporeon-Mega (Kyogre) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Moonblast
- Volt Switch
Kyogre is the original Regenvest abuser. While it wasn't originally my lead, it quickly took over that role and, to this day in the era of Team Preview, it still often functions as such. Kyogre can take hits like a champ and hit back reasonably hard with its special attacks, especially now without everything being bulky. While it was by no means a sweeper, there have been numerous times where Kyogre's bulky offensive presence saw me through to a win.
As you can tell, Kyogre functions as my spinner too. This team wants to keep its own hazards up, so I run spin over Defog. The notable spin blockers in the tier are Gengar, who doesn't want to take Scalds, and Giratina, who can be pressured with Moonblast. I continue to use Scald over Steam Eruption since Kyogre, and this team, are in it for the long run, and because I also don't want to miss. Volt Switch, meanwhile, is a great escape and scouting tool. Many Illusion Slakings have become very sad when their Shedinja disguise was broken and Cress came out in Kyogre's place to mock their Belly Drumming.
I invested physically in Kyogre's bulk namely so it could better handle Refrigerate abuse in a pinch and not go down as soon as someone smacks it with a physical attack, Secret Sword, or Psystrike. It still really does not like Bolt Strike, however.
Slaking-Mega (Regigigas) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Knock Off
- Facade
- Dragon Tail
If you were around during Gen V BH, this set might look very familiar to you. This Regigigas is, almost literally, a straight copy of one of the more popular stall-based Regigigas. The biggest change here was to replace one move with Knock Off instead of Shift Gear, hazards, or other coverage attacks.
This set is very straight forward: status and/or remove the opponent's item before proceeding to punch them in the face. If they're not something Gigas handles very well, they get shuffled out with Dragon Tail. Many opponents do not prepare for this sort of strategy and, while they might have a check, it often gets shuffled out before it can KO Gigas, allowing it to soften up opposing teams while getting its health back. Or, sometimes, it'll just sweep on its own.
Gengar-Mega-Y (Giratina) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Recover
- Whirlwind
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
Despite all of the Xerneas, Kyurems, and Gengars running around now, Giratina is still an amazing defensive Pokemon. This set is a work horse that has a lot of things it needs to do. First and foremost, it's my default Shedinja check, able to destroy them with Will-o-Wisp, remove any recyclable Lum Berries, and jack with their attempts to get momentum via a slow switch move by using Whirlwind.
However, its uses do not end there. Giratina is an excellent shuffler, able to withstand hits of all sorts and keep pushing the enemy through hazards or disrupting their attempts to set-up. As many teams lack a cleric, it is also excellent at crippling physical attackers and adding pressure onto non-Magic Bounce walls. Giratina can even take a Fake Out + Extreme Speed from some Kyurem-B to burn it, thus removing it as a threat in the long term, although this is harder to do now with 510 in place.
Plus, Knock Off is always an unexpected surprise from Giratina. Many Gengar have thought they were safe to set-up, only to lose their plate and become hardwalled by Giratina. Giratina is an Imposter magnet for some reason, which makes it very easy to remove Eviolite and other Imposter items, though it does mean I have to be careful about handing out burns. It also occasionally gets a KO against some opponents, like Gengar and Mewtwo-Y, or against very weak foes, but this isn't its main purpose.
Espeon-Mega (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Def / 132 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Perish Song
- Recover
- Wish
- Volt Switch
Cress is a bit underrated at the moment, in my opinion. ORAS might render it irrelevant, however, so it may deserve to be underrated. Regardless, Cress functions as a last ditch check to set-up sweepers should I fail to keep them from setting up. Perish Song is a guaranteed hard stop to whatever momentum they might have, provided they don't have Soundproof. And honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a Soundproof sweeper.
From there, Cress also functions as a safe Wish passer, able to use its large HP stat and slow Volt Switch to confer healing to my team. This could allow me to run less recovery than I do, but I use it to bolster what I already have. This let's me to bring walls and sweepers both back from the brink almost on demand with little risk to themselves. Pairing it with Recover also gives Cress reliable, and rather insane, self-recover capabilities.
Needless to say, Volt Switch lets Cress escape from trapping, which is important since it has Perish Song but is not a trapper itself. Hence, it's vulnerable to getting trapped into its own song, especially with Thousand Waves being a thing now. This also almost became a liability when Electrify Lightning Rod Gengar became a huge fad, but, thankfully, that came to an end. U-Turn would be safer, but Volt Switch does allow Cress to inflict decent chip damage as opposed to completely negligible chip damage.
Because of the nature of the set, Cress may either have a ton to do in any given battle or might not see much use at all. However, it's almost never completely useless.
Umbreon-Mega (Yveltal) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Roost
Depending on my opponent's team, Yveltal either does a lot of work or mostly sits on the sidelines. Its main job is to set-up hazards against the opponent. Rocks are there for Sheddy and to rack up damage with all of the shuffling while Sticky Web is to jack with their attempts to gain momentum and is also a very important tool for my next Pokemon.
Once hazards are in play, or the opponent is being a dick and sending in bouncers/Imposters, Yveltal can start shuffling opponents to either find a good switch opportunity or to get residual damage up against the opposing team. Whirlwind also helps to force out set-up sweepers, namely Gengar.
Shaymin-Mega (Shaymin-Sky) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Flare Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Oblivion Wing
- Giga Drain
- Tail Glow
- Earth Power
Probably the set I'm most famous for creating is my Quick Feet Skymin set.
This is not quite that set.
But it is very similar! While this was originally the Quick Feet Skymin you probably expected, I changed it in order to take advantage of that fame. Knowing my foes would be too scared to send their Imposters in against an ensured death by Ice Beam, Flare Boost Skymin is free to reign terror upon its victims.
Since I no longer have the speed boost, Sticky Web support is essential against more offensive teams in order to outspeed all of the opposition. Imposter removal is also necessary since, while Skymin can KO it, it's a 50/50 shot. Imposter is also why I have to be careful with burns, because a Tail Glow + Flare Boost Skymin is a very scary wall breaker.
Oblivion Wing is the main move, making Skymin very hard to kill in less than one shot despite its frailty. Giga Drain was added to deal with Imposters of my own Kyogre primarily, but it also handles other Kyogres quite well, along with other targets such as Tyranitar and Gyarados, all the while healing Skymin too. Earth Power pairs as excellent coverage with Skymin's STABs, allowing it to decimate most anything that'd otherwise wall it, particularly Steel-types.
As powerful as it is, the Flare Boost set is definitely harder to play than the Quick Feet set. Against many teams, Sticky Web must be up or faster threats outright removed. Priority abusers must be destroyed and Imposters taken out or sufficiently bluffed as well to ensure a safe and quick clean-up. However, the rewards are definitely well worth it, as Flare Boost can net many OHKOs that Quick Feet after a Tail Glow boost, such as 252 HP/252 Sp D. Regigigas after Stealth Rock or most Steel-types.
...hmmm, now that I'd revealed I'm using Flare Boost over Quick Feet, maybe I should switch back to keep up the mind screwing? Or maybe I'll say I switched back but not really?Or maybe I'll run Guts.
Known Weaknesses
-Protean Mewtwo-Y. Giratina easily handles most Protean Mewtwo-X since they rarely run the moves they need to hit Giratina hard. But Y-Two... if they happened to be running a Life Orb set with reckless, "I don't care if I get Impostered" coverage, then they could be quite terrifying and would require some very careful scouting and play to overcome.In particular, I want to flip lcass' Protean Y-Two the bird. But if they're running a safer set, then they were usually much easier to deal with.
-ate Shell Smash Boomburst, particularly Pixilate. The trick was to prevent the set-up, which was usually easier than it sounds. But, if it got going, I could be in some trouble, especially if they had a Life Orb since it meant Cress would have difficulty switching and staying in to Perish them.
-Set-up Mold Breakers. Similar to above, except Cress would have a lot more difficulties, especially if the Moldy was Gengar. Luckily, Yveltal is bulky enough to take an attack and shuffle Gengar, but it can have issues if they try to sleep it. I've been tempted on a couple of occasions to switch Unaware to Prankster and change Cress' set a little to account, but keeping switch-in capability against every other set-up sweeper felt more important. Giving Yveltal Sucker Punch just for Gengar has also been a temptation.
-Early Knock-Off/Trick/Status. The hardest part about status orb abusers is getting them in safely and, considering half my team uses them, it's definitely a consideration that must be kept in mind during the early game. Once the orb is triggered, they're good to go, but if that Orb gets removed first, or they get the wrong status on the switch, their effectiveness is hurt considerably. Luckily, I can do a slower Volturn with Cress to get them in safely and Assault Vest Kyogre would deter Trick use (so many Prankster Venusaurs are crying about receiving an Assault Vest). Most players will not use a status move on a statused Pokemon, or Knock Off/Trick, for obvious reasons, so, in a pinch, I could let something take the status or Knock Off and then switch into whatever was coming next. If all else failed, I could Whirlwind into their Magic Bouncers to attempt to roulette into safely setting up my status orb.
-Refrigerate. Kind of an obligatory mention since half my team is weak to ice, even though I've rarely felt threatened by it. However, Kyogre can take on most Kyu-Bs lacking Bolt Strike and pretty much any and all Kyu-Ws. Giratina can also withstand some Kyu-Bs and give them a burn as a parting gift, crippling them for the rest of the match. Yveltal can withstand some of them, namely though lacking Fake Out, as well to shuffle them out should I get caught with my pants down while Gigas put them to sleep or take them out as well, though has some trouble switching it after 510. Finally, Cress pretty much scoffs at Kyu-B and can stall out the Extreme Speed PP.
Dealing With Imposters
Because I'm sure this will be asked...
-Kyogre usually doesn't care if it gets Impostered. Burns from Scald can be annoying, but most Imposters won't risk it themselves and prefer to Volt Switch. In an ideal world, I lose the speed tie on my own Volt Switch. Failing that, once their orbs are active, Gigas and Gira check Kyogre Imposters (despite Moonblast for the latter since PH will overcome that damage easily) and Skymin can set-up on it and, if it continues to stay in, destroy it.
-Regigigas checks its own Imposters by sleeping them, removing their item, and then punching them until they switch. In a pinch though, Giratina checks Imposter Gigas and threatens a burn while Yveltal can bounce back Spore attempts. Shaymin can also attempt to set-up on unstatuses Gigas, although this requires a safe switch and the Imposter not using Dragon Tail on the first turn.
-Giratina also checks its own Imposters by removing their items, threatening a burn, and then blowing them out. Regigigas also checks since it's immune to the burn and, once the orb is active, care little about Knock Off, although it can't easily KO lest it stalls out the Imposter's recover PP. Similar to Regigigas, Skymin can attempt to set-up, and do so more easily due to Giratina lacking an offensive presence, but can get Whirlwinded out. Yveltal can come in and start popping out hazards, especially if the opponent lacks a bouncer of their own.
-Cresselia offers no real offensive threat to my team, barring a slow Volt Switch, forcing me to switch with Perish Song, or Wish passing. Volt Switching and Wish passing can be disrupted easily by Giratina, Regigigas, or Yveltal and their respective shuffling moves.
-Yveltal has zero offensive presence and there's little the Imposter can do if Yveltal is also on the field (though, admittedly, this is true in reverse). Kyogre can spin away any successful hazards and threaten with both Scald and Moonblast. Regigigas can just repeatedly hit it with Facade, Cress can use the opportunity to pass a Wish if necessary, and Skymin can attempt to set-up.
-Shaymin-Sky is why I have to be careful with burns. Unburned and/or unboosted, Kyogre can take a hit for a safe Volt Switch while Gigas, Giratina, and Yveltal can shuffle it out. Cress walls the set pretty hard and can force the Imposter out with Perish and/or use the opportunity to patch up the rest of my team, even if the Imposter is burned. Worst case scenario, Skymin has a 50/50 shot of downing the Imposter if it has acquired a boost. If it has one and the Imposter doesn't, then the odds are slightly in its favor since it can sometimes take an unboosted Oblivion Wing.
As you all are well aware, OR/AS is soon descending upon us. It is so close, in fact, that OR/AS Mega-Evolutions have started to appear in Balanced Hackmons. The X/Y era of Gen VI is coming to a close and, with it, the various metagames that have arisen in many of the tiers, both official or otherwise. This includes Balanced Hackmons... ESPECIALLY Balanced Hackmons.
As you may or may not know, Balanced Hackmons is a tier that allows the use of any item, any move, and almost any ability on any Pokemon (as of this writing, anyway). It also allows you to use mega-evolutions without their respective stones or even having to mega-evolve them first. So, if you want four Megalutions on your team, nothing is stopping you!
Hence, with the introduction of new Megas, namely the Hoenn legendary trio, and new abilities, Balanced Hackmons is now undergoing a serious upheavel and I have little doubt that most of the successful teams now will either have to change or die. Some might be fine with a tweak or two, but others... not so much. If mine doesn't fit into the latter category, then it'll definitely need more than enough modification to significantly change it if just because some new additions to the tier seriously outclass some of my picks now.
Anyway, this team is notable because it's the first serious X/Y BH team I put together and it's also the one that's lasted through everything that's been thrown at it. This team has endured the rise and fall of many threats, such as Electrify Gengar-Mega and Poison Heal Mewtwo-Y, and has seen many new additions rear it's head. Since the team was created, Thousand Waves, Thousand Arrows, Light of Ruin, Steam Eruption, Diamond Storm, Hyperspace Hole, Megas being able to mega-volve into themselves, Mega-Lati@s, Diancie. Hoopla, Volcanion, team preview, and most notably, the 510 EV restriction have all joined the fray. And, while it lost a little steam towards the end when the current fad shifted to wall-breaking nukes, it has endured everything thrown at it and seen more successes than failures.
But that's enough of a foreword. You're not here to hear me ramble, so let's get to the meat.
Strategy
As I was testing random stuff to see what sticked and what didn't in the new meta, the one thing I noticed was that most opposing teams were heavily relying on taking offensive momentum and rushing with it. Getting a little tired of my "test random junk" teams getting set-up upon and nuked before I could experiment, I finally caved in and constructed my first actual team.
I decided to create a team that was all about momentum control and denying it to my opponent. Inspired by the stall players of Gen V, I made a stall team that relied heavily on shuffling the opposition to prevent them from executing their strategy. However, with Defog now being a thing and the sleep counter no longer resetting, mimicking Gen V was not an option. So instead of relying mostly on rendering the foe helpless and killing them with hazards, I opted to apply pressure more directly, hence moving from full stall to semi-stall.
This team's strategy is simple: disrupt the opponent's attempts to launch an effective offense or defense by constantly forcing their Pokemon out, apply constant pressure to wear them down, and then send in a sweeper of my own to clean up the remaining Pokemon once I had created an opportunity for me to set-up. Things didn't always go as planned, of course, but the team could adapt and either lean more heavily on attacking stuff without set-up or just stall the opposition out.
Team Building
When starting, Regigigas and Giratina were the no brainer picks. Gigas was a posterboy of Spore-shuffling last gen with one of his Poison Heal sets and, while Giratina was a bit unpopular at the time since most people hadn't figured out how to deal with Kyurem-B yet, it had rarely let me down when it came to being a bulky support Pokemon.
Of course, I needed an option just in case I failed to stop the set-up. Cress was one of the best Unaware Pokemon in Gen V, so it was natural addition to my team. Plus, it has long since had the habit of getting into my teams anyway and only lately has it finally stopped being so sneaky.
Regenerator is an awesome ability that grants longevity to almost any Pokemon, allowing them to come in time and time again with little fear of getting worn down. After looking over my options, I eventually settled upon Kyogre, who was, at the time, probably the most popular Regenerator + Assault Vest user. I adapted a set for use on my own team and it's functioned extremely well ever since, especially in the face of Boomburst abuse.
Coming out of Gen V, I, like many other players, more heavily valued Magic Bounce than we probably do today. Lugia, despite also being unpopular at the time (and still is), was another bulky Pokemon who had rarely let me down.
The final thing I needed was a clean-up sweeper. One of my last projects before making this team was creating a set that uses a status orb without Magic Guard or Poison Heal. I had already come up with a prototype for such a set and it had been fairly effective on my "test random crap" teams. Now was the time to implement it on a real team and see how it held up in real battle.
Later on, there was a day where Arceus forms decided to retain their typing without Plate + Multitype. Gengar had been starting to annoy me and the triple Ghost/Dark weakness between Lugia, Giratina, and Cress was starting to become noticeable when Yveltal started seeing some usage too. Arceus swapped in for Cress and, during that day, it performed Cress' job admirably. And then the next day the change was reverted, so, after guest starring on my team, Darkeus left and Cress came back on.
A bit later on, once Yveltal's defensive capabilities became more clear to the community, and opposing Gengar and Yveltal continued to exist, I finally decided to make this swap. Yveltal isn't quite as bulky as Lugia, but not getting nuked to hell by Judgements, Knock Offs, and Night Dazes was definitely appreciated. While it took on Lugia's support moveset, my opponents did not know that and were often sent scurrying away in fear of a Sucker Punch I didn't have.
Team Breakdown
Vaporeon-Mega (Kyogre) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Moonblast
- Volt Switch
Kyogre is the original Regenvest abuser. While it wasn't originally my lead, it quickly took over that role and, to this day in the era of Team Preview, it still often functions as such. Kyogre can take hits like a champ and hit back reasonably hard with its special attacks, especially now without everything being bulky. While it was by no means a sweeper, there have been numerous times where Kyogre's bulky offensive presence saw me through to a win.
As you can tell, Kyogre functions as my spinner too. This team wants to keep its own hazards up, so I run spin over Defog. The notable spin blockers in the tier are Gengar, who doesn't want to take Scalds, and Giratina, who can be pressured with Moonblast. I continue to use Scald over Steam Eruption since Kyogre, and this team, are in it for the long run, and because I also don't want to miss. Volt Switch, meanwhile, is a great escape and scouting tool. Many Illusion Slakings have become very sad when their Shedinja disguise was broken and Cress came out in Kyogre's place to mock their Belly Drumming.
I invested physically in Kyogre's bulk namely so it could better handle Refrigerate abuse in a pinch and not go down as soon as someone smacks it with a physical attack, Secret Sword, or Psystrike. It still really does not like Bolt Strike, however.
Slaking-Mega (Regigigas) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Knock Off
- Facade
- Dragon Tail
If you were around during Gen V BH, this set might look very familiar to you. This Regigigas is, almost literally, a straight copy of one of the more popular stall-based Regigigas. The biggest change here was to replace one move with Knock Off instead of Shift Gear, hazards, or other coverage attacks.
This set is very straight forward: status and/or remove the opponent's item before proceeding to punch them in the face. If they're not something Gigas handles very well, they get shuffled out with Dragon Tail. Many opponents do not prepare for this sort of strategy and, while they might have a check, it often gets shuffled out before it can KO Gigas, allowing it to soften up opposing teams while getting its health back. Or, sometimes, it'll just sweep on its own.
Gengar-Mega-Y (Giratina) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Recover
- Whirlwind
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
Despite all of the Xerneas, Kyurems, and Gengars running around now, Giratina is still an amazing defensive Pokemon. This set is a work horse that has a lot of things it needs to do. First and foremost, it's my default Shedinja check, able to destroy them with Will-o-Wisp, remove any recyclable Lum Berries, and jack with their attempts to get momentum via a slow switch move by using Whirlwind.
However, its uses do not end there. Giratina is an excellent shuffler, able to withstand hits of all sorts and keep pushing the enemy through hazards or disrupting their attempts to set-up. As many teams lack a cleric, it is also excellent at crippling physical attackers and adding pressure onto non-Magic Bounce walls. Giratina can even take a Fake Out + Extreme Speed from some Kyurem-B to burn it, thus removing it as a threat in the long term, although this is harder to do now with 510 in place.
Plus, Knock Off is always an unexpected surprise from Giratina. Many Gengar have thought they were safe to set-up, only to lose their plate and become hardwalled by Giratina. Giratina is an Imposter magnet for some reason, which makes it very easy to remove Eviolite and other Imposter items, though it does mean I have to be careful about handing out burns. It also occasionally gets a KO against some opponents, like Gengar and Mewtwo-Y, or against very weak foes, but this isn't its main purpose.
Espeon-Mega (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Def / 132 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Perish Song
- Recover
- Wish
- Volt Switch
Cress is a bit underrated at the moment, in my opinion. ORAS might render it irrelevant, however, so it may deserve to be underrated. Regardless, Cress functions as a last ditch check to set-up sweepers should I fail to keep them from setting up. Perish Song is a guaranteed hard stop to whatever momentum they might have, provided they don't have Soundproof. And honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a Soundproof sweeper.
From there, Cress also functions as a safe Wish passer, able to use its large HP stat and slow Volt Switch to confer healing to my team. This could allow me to run less recovery than I do, but I use it to bolster what I already have. This let's me to bring walls and sweepers both back from the brink almost on demand with little risk to themselves. Pairing it with Recover also gives Cress reliable, and rather insane, self-recover capabilities.
Needless to say, Volt Switch lets Cress escape from trapping, which is important since it has Perish Song but is not a trapper itself. Hence, it's vulnerable to getting trapped into its own song, especially with Thousand Waves being a thing now. This also almost became a liability when Electrify Lightning Rod Gengar became a huge fad, but, thankfully, that came to an end. U-Turn would be safer, but Volt Switch does allow Cress to inflict decent chip damage as opposed to completely negligible chip damage.
Because of the nature of the set, Cress may either have a ton to do in any given battle or might not see much use at all. However, it's almost never completely useless.
Umbreon-Mega (Yveltal) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Roost
Depending on my opponent's team, Yveltal either does a lot of work or mostly sits on the sidelines. Its main job is to set-up hazards against the opponent. Rocks are there for Sheddy and to rack up damage with all of the shuffling while Sticky Web is to jack with their attempts to gain momentum and is also a very important tool for my next Pokemon.
Once hazards are in play, or the opponent is being a dick and sending in bouncers/Imposters, Yveltal can start shuffling opponents to either find a good switch opportunity or to get residual damage up against the opposing team. Whirlwind also helps to force out set-up sweepers, namely Gengar.
Shaymin-Mega (Shaymin-Sky) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Flare Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Oblivion Wing
- Giga Drain
- Tail Glow
- Earth Power
Probably the set I'm most famous for creating is my Quick Feet Skymin set.
This is not quite that set.
But it is very similar! While this was originally the Quick Feet Skymin you probably expected, I changed it in order to take advantage of that fame. Knowing my foes would be too scared to send their Imposters in against an ensured death by Ice Beam, Flare Boost Skymin is free to reign terror upon its victims.
Since I no longer have the speed boost, Sticky Web support is essential against more offensive teams in order to outspeed all of the opposition. Imposter removal is also necessary since, while Skymin can KO it, it's a 50/50 shot. Imposter is also why I have to be careful with burns, because a Tail Glow + Flare Boost Skymin is a very scary wall breaker.
Oblivion Wing is the main move, making Skymin very hard to kill in less than one shot despite its frailty. Giga Drain was added to deal with Imposters of my own Kyogre primarily, but it also handles other Kyogres quite well, along with other targets such as Tyranitar and Gyarados, all the while healing Skymin too. Earth Power pairs as excellent coverage with Skymin's STABs, allowing it to decimate most anything that'd otherwise wall it, particularly Steel-types.
As powerful as it is, the Flare Boost set is definitely harder to play than the Quick Feet set. Against many teams, Sticky Web must be up or faster threats outright removed. Priority abusers must be destroyed and Imposters taken out or sufficiently bluffed as well to ensure a safe and quick clean-up. However, the rewards are definitely well worth it, as Flare Boost can net many OHKOs that Quick Feet after a Tail Glow boost, such as 252 HP/252 Sp D. Regigigas after Stealth Rock or most Steel-types.
...hmmm, now that I'd revealed I'm using Flare Boost over Quick Feet, maybe I should switch back to keep up the mind screwing? Or maybe I'll say I switched back but not really?
Known Weaknesses
-Protean Mewtwo-Y. Giratina easily handles most Protean Mewtwo-X since they rarely run the moves they need to hit Giratina hard. But Y-Two... if they happened to be running a Life Orb set with reckless, "I don't care if I get Impostered" coverage, then they could be quite terrifying and would require some very careful scouting and play to overcome.
-ate Shell Smash Boomburst, particularly Pixilate. The trick was to prevent the set-up, which was usually easier than it sounds. But, if it got going, I could be in some trouble, especially if they had a Life Orb since it meant Cress would have difficulty switching and staying in to Perish them.
-Set-up Mold Breakers. Similar to above, except Cress would have a lot more difficulties, especially if the Moldy was Gengar. Luckily, Yveltal is bulky enough to take an attack and shuffle Gengar, but it can have issues if they try to sleep it. I've been tempted on a couple of occasions to switch Unaware to Prankster and change Cress' set a little to account, but keeping switch-in capability against every other set-up sweeper felt more important. Giving Yveltal Sucker Punch just for Gengar has also been a temptation.
-Early Knock-Off/Trick/Status. The hardest part about status orb abusers is getting them in safely and, considering half my team uses them, it's definitely a consideration that must be kept in mind during the early game. Once the orb is triggered, they're good to go, but if that Orb gets removed first, or they get the wrong status on the switch, their effectiveness is hurt considerably. Luckily, I can do a slower Volturn with Cress to get them in safely and Assault Vest Kyogre would deter Trick use (so many Prankster Venusaurs are crying about receiving an Assault Vest). Most players will not use a status move on a statused Pokemon, or Knock Off/Trick, for obvious reasons, so, in a pinch, I could let something take the status or Knock Off and then switch into whatever was coming next. If all else failed, I could Whirlwind into their Magic Bouncers to attempt to roulette into safely setting up my status orb.
-Refrigerate. Kind of an obligatory mention since half my team is weak to ice, even though I've rarely felt threatened by it. However, Kyogre can take on most Kyu-Bs lacking Bolt Strike and pretty much any and all Kyu-Ws. Giratina can also withstand some Kyu-Bs and give them a burn as a parting gift, crippling them for the rest of the match. Yveltal can withstand some of them, namely though lacking Fake Out, as well to shuffle them out should I get caught with my pants down while Gigas put them to sleep or take them out as well, though has some trouble switching it after 510. Finally, Cress pretty much scoffs at Kyu-B and can stall out the Extreme Speed PP.
Dealing With Imposters
Because I'm sure this will be asked...
-Kyogre usually doesn't care if it gets Impostered. Burns from Scald can be annoying, but most Imposters won't risk it themselves and prefer to Volt Switch. In an ideal world, I lose the speed tie on my own Volt Switch. Failing that, once their orbs are active, Gigas and Gira check Kyogre Imposters (despite Moonblast for the latter since PH will overcome that damage easily) and Skymin can set-up on it and, if it continues to stay in, destroy it.
-Regigigas checks its own Imposters by sleeping them, removing their item, and then punching them until they switch. In a pinch though, Giratina checks Imposter Gigas and threatens a burn while Yveltal can bounce back Spore attempts. Shaymin can also attempt to set-up on unstatuses Gigas, although this requires a safe switch and the Imposter not using Dragon Tail on the first turn.
-Giratina also checks its own Imposters by removing their items, threatening a burn, and then blowing them out. Regigigas also checks since it's immune to the burn and, once the orb is active, care little about Knock Off, although it can't easily KO lest it stalls out the Imposter's recover PP. Similar to Regigigas, Skymin can attempt to set-up, and do so more easily due to Giratina lacking an offensive presence, but can get Whirlwinded out. Yveltal can come in and start popping out hazards, especially if the opponent lacks a bouncer of their own.
-Cresselia offers no real offensive threat to my team, barring a slow Volt Switch, forcing me to switch with Perish Song, or Wish passing. Volt Switching and Wish passing can be disrupted easily by Giratina, Regigigas, or Yveltal and their respective shuffling moves.
-Yveltal has zero offensive presence and there's little the Imposter can do if Yveltal is also on the field (though, admittedly, this is true in reverse). Kyogre can spin away any successful hazards and threaten with both Scald and Moonblast. Regigigas can just repeatedly hit it with Facade, Cress can use the opportunity to pass a Wish if necessary, and Skymin can attempt to set-up.
-Shaymin-Sky is why I have to be careful with burns. Unburned and/or unboosted, Kyogre can take a hit for a safe Volt Switch while Gigas, Giratina, and Yveltal can shuffle it out. Cress walls the set pretty hard and can force the Imposter out with Perish and/or use the opportunity to patch up the rest of my team, even if the Imposter is burned. Worst case scenario, Skymin has a 50/50 shot of downing the Imposter if it has acquired a boost. If it has one and the Imposter doesn't, then the odds are slightly in its favor since it can sometimes take an unboosted Oblivion Wing.
Vaporeon-Mega (Kyogre) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Moonblast
- Volt Switch
Slaking-Mega (Regigigas) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Knock Off
- Facade
- Dragon Tail
Gengar-Mega-Y (Giratina) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Recover
- Whirlwind
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
Espeon-Mega (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Def / 132 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Perish Song
- Recover
- Wish
- Volt Switch
Umbreon-Mega (Yveltal) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Roost
Shaymin-Mega (Shaymin-Sky) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Flare Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 0 Atk
- Oblivion Wing
- Giga Drain
- Tail Glow
- Earth Power
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Moonblast
- Volt Switch
Slaking-Mega (Regigigas) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Knock Off
- Facade
- Dragon Tail
Gengar-Mega-Y (Giratina) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Recover
- Whirlwind
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
Espeon-Mega (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Def / 132 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Perish Song
- Recover
- Wish
- Volt Switch
Umbreon-Mega (Yveltal) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Roost
Shaymin-Mega (Shaymin-Sky) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Flare Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 HP / 0 Atk
- Oblivion Wing
- Giga Drain
- Tail Glow
- Earth Power
These replays are kind of interesting since they cover from the start, where the tier is fresh and new and I'm a little shaky on handling my team, to right up to before the 510 change, where I'm participating in tournament battles with this team. Unfortunately, I do not have any post-510 replays saved that I can find. In fact, I have fewer replays of this team in action than I'd like.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-69096248 - An early replay where I'm leading with Gigas into of Kyogre and haven't quite gotten used to my team yet. Also, crits everywhere, but I guess winning a crucial speed tie and then a crucial miss a bit later makes up for it.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-69105622 - Still leading with Gigas, which demonstrates why I stopped leading with it. Also, in which Giratina checks Fridge Kyu-B, with a little help from some support. Also also, a lesson in why clerics do not play nicely with Poison Healers.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-70301080 - A bit later when I finally got settled in and knew what I was doing with the team. This is pretty much how things went when everything went more or less according to plan.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-79524236 - This is why Electrify Gengar caused my team problems, and this is also how I handled it. Also shown: me making a few misplays in regards to Prankster Venusaur which, I'll admit, was fairly new at the time.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-139003191 - I should have actually kept the replays, but unfortunately this is the only one I can find where I brought the team to a tournament. Also features me making an epic misplay by blundering into a Prankster Destiny Bond that I was certain was there. Also also, it's not a BH RMT without featuring a stall vs stall replay. Also also also, that was Flare Boost Skymin, not the Quick Feet set anymore like Wail thought or as seen in the previous replays.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-69096248 - An early replay where I'm leading with Gigas into of Kyogre and haven't quite gotten used to my team yet. Also, crits everywhere, but I guess winning a crucial speed tie and then a crucial miss a bit later makes up for it.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-69105622 - Still leading with Gigas, which demonstrates why I stopped leading with it. Also, in which Giratina checks Fridge Kyu-B, with a little help from some support. Also also, a lesson in why clerics do not play nicely with Poison Healers.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-70301080 - A bit later when I finally got settled in and knew what I was doing with the team. This is pretty much how things went when everything went more or less according to plan.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-79524236 - This is why Electrify Gengar caused my team problems, and this is also how I handled it. Also shown: me making a few misplays in regards to Prankster Venusaur which, I'll admit, was fairly new at the time.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/balancedhackmons-139003191 - I should have actually kept the replays, but unfortunately this is the only one I can find where I brought the team to a tournament. Also features me making an epic misplay by blundering into a Prankster Destiny Bond that I was certain was there. Also also, it's not a BH RMT without featuring a stall vs stall replay. Also also also, that was Flare Boost Skymin, not the Quick Feet set anymore like Wail thought or as seen in the previous replays.