Enter the Dark Forest: a RMT currently at 1877

[Patrick1088]

Dark Forest

Long time ago in a land far away, there were two tribes that were always at war with each other. The Justified tribe always believes in truth and justice, while the Dark tribe believes in power, no matter the costs. However, recently a new threat has forced these two adversaries to team up and do battle together. Along with the other tribes of this land, they are ready to defend the Dark Forest.

Hi Folks! This is my new RMT that is based on an offensive core of Virizion and Houndoom. Virizion is able to break through the various walls in the UU game, while Houndoom is very anti-meta has a great counter to Chandelure and Victini. PS! isn't letting me online right now, otherwise I'd be working on getting the score higher. This is my best team so far which I am currently at 1877 under Mr.1088_11. Here's the RMT and I hope that you enjoy!
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Crobat@ Black Sludge
Inner Focus
Jolly Nature
176 HP/ 192 Attack/ 4 Sp Def/ 136 Speed
-Brave Bird
-Roost
-Taunt
-U-Turn

Crobat is definitely a great poke imo. I never really used him before, but now he's on almost every team. This is the stallbreaker set on Smogon. The EVs are to out take certain hits like Stone Edge from Scarf Hera and Shao, check BU/DD Scrafty, prevent P2 or PZ from getting a Sp Attack boost, and to be faster than Max Speed pokes like Raikou and Azelf. Inner Focus is chosen over Infiltrate because I prefer to not be haxed to death by ParaFlinch Togekiss and in addition to people who use Ambipom and Fake Out Shao as a lead. Brave Bird is the STAB of choice. Roost is to get back health. Taunt is to prevent hazards and status from slower pokes like Togekiss and Roserade. U-turn is the move of choice to scout and pivot. Also, Crobat is chosen due it's great resistances to Fighting and Bug moves taking about 20% from Scarf Hera's STAB moves.

Swampert@ Leftovers
Torrent
Relaxed Nature
240 HP/ 16 Attack/ 252 Def
-Stealth Rock
-Scald
-Earthquake
-Roar

Swampert became my physical wall of choice for several reasons. I have been playing with the option of switching Swampert to Rhyperior due to more sheer physical bulk, but the Swampert's overall bulk helps a lot and I feel that with Rhyperior, I am adding more weaknesses in x2 Fighting, x4 Water, x4 Grass and x2 Ice. Swampert and Crobat have great synergy together. Between Crobat taking the Bug/Fighting attacks from Hera, Swampert can take the Stone Edges all day. Swampert is also my counter to SubCM Raikou. Stealth Rock is my only hazard, but it does it's job. Scald/Earthquake are the STABs of choice that can burn potential physical pokes like Hera (need to watch out for Guts) and Shao, and hit steel/electric types hard, respectively. Roar lets me phaze out set up sweepers like CroCune, Kingdra, Scrafty, etc.. Swampert USED to be my check to Zapdos, but now every Zapdos, and their mothers, run HP Grass which completely obliterates Swampert. Or, some Zapdos run HP Ice just to play mindgames. The next poke helps fix this mindgame, thus minimizing mispredictions.

Snorlax@ Choice Band
Thick Fat
Adamant Nature
252 Attack/ 52 Def/ 200 Sp Def/ 4 Speed
-Body Slam
-Earthquake
-Crunch
-Pursuit

I just can't get rid of Snorlax. It's ability to hit hard and take hits is just too valuable. This is the standard offensive set on Smogon. The EVs let Lax survive certain physical hits from Kingdra and Flygon, while speed creeping pokes like Slowbro. Body Slam is chosen over Return due to the nice 30% paralysis rate. Earthquake hits the steel types like Empoleon/Magneton. Pursuit is to reliably check Chandelure locked into Fire Blast/Shadow Ball (have to watch out for the burn rate though!). Crunch is to hit OTR Cofagrigus harder. Fire Punch was an option, but with Houndoom and Virizion, steels don't really stand too much of a chance. As I said before Swampert, Snorlax's Thick Fat gives it the ability to discover the Hidden Power that Offensive Zapdos runs without sacrificing a poke. HP Grasss does 16-19% on the above EV Spread, while HP Ice does 8-9%. I barely take any damage and I can scout for Hidden Powers. Lax is my special wall that appreciates the Scald Burn from Swampert and has great synergy with Crobat and Swampert forming, albeit a very offensive, defensive core.

Darmanitan@ Choice Scarf
Sheer Force
Jolly Nature
252 Attack/ 4 Sp Def/ 252 Speed
-Flare Blitz
-Rock Slide
-Superpower
-U-Turn

Darm is hands down, my scarfer of choice. That immense physical attack with Sheer Force boosted STAB Flare Blitz hits hard, plain and simple. FB obliterates threatening pokes like Togekiss, Nidoking, offensive Nidoqueen with just SR on the field. A Jolly Nature for Darm lets it check a plethora of pokes like Scarf Chandy, Scarf Hera, Scarf Krookodile, Roserade, Shaymin, etc.. Max Attack and Max Speed are standard. 4 Sp Def EVs are here to prevent PZ and P2 from getting a Download boost. Flare Blitz is the STAB of choice hitting everything hard, bar water pokes. Rock Slide hits Fire types hard. Superpower it to hit opposing Snorlax that resist FB. U-Turn lets Darm scout along with Crobat. Darm's immunity to WoW is the main reason I chose Darm over Scarf Hera/Shao. He can come in on a predicted WoW for Crobat, Lax, Swampert from Sableye and threaten it immediately.

Virizion@ Lum Berry
Justified
Jolly Nature
4 HP/ 252 Attack/ 252 Speed
-Swords Dance
-Leaf Blade
-Close Combat
-Stone Edge

Virizion is one of my favorite pokes. It's typing let's it easily come in on dark, rock, ground, water and grass type moves. The reason it is chosen as my main sweeper is due to it's ability to break down the common defensive cores of Roserade/Rhyperior/Snorlax, Gligar/Empoleon and Slowbro/Snorlax. Leaf Blade destroys bulky waters and rock pokes that Darm hates. CC destroys Snorlax/P2 pokes. Stone Edge rounds off the coverage hitting Zapdos and Roserade hard. Lum Berry is chosen over Life Orb to take the element of hax out of the equation. Lum Berry has definitely saved Virizion and allowed it at least one extra turn to boost/attack on the predicted status. Virizion is also able to check rampaging Honchkrow (non-scarfed) that are Sucker Punch happy. Stone Edge is a guaranteed OHKO on Honch after Stealth Rock, or previous damage which is possible considering LO recoil. To compliment Virizion is the dark dog itself:

Houndoom@ Life Orb
Flash Fire
Hasty Nature
252 Attack/ 4 Sp Attack/ 252 Speed
-Fire Blast
-Hidden Power Grass
-Pursuit
-Sucker Punch

Houndoom is very anti-meta now imo. It's immunities to Victini's STABs and resisting Chandy's Shadow Ball makes it a great poke. It's typing goes perfectly with Virizion which resists the rock, water and ground attacks aimed at Houndoom, while Houndoom takes the fire and psychic moves aimed at Virizion. Fire Blast is the STAB of choice to hit steel types hard. Pursuit/Sucker Punch play the oh so important mindgame with psychic pokes. Do they switch, or do they attack? Due to some other Houndoom running Crunch makes the choice even harder. HP Grass rounds about the coverage hitting Swampert, Rhyperior and Bulky Water types harder than Houndoom's STAB moves. Max Attack and Speed are given give the most power on both sides of the physical/special spectrum while LO boosts the attacks even more.

So,this has been my RMT that is a lot of fun. It really caught me by surprise on how well it performs. Some people will say that I need a spinner since Crobat, Darm and Houndoom are weak to SR. The offensive nature of this team doesn't let the common Stealth Rock setters of Rhyperior, Gligar and Empoleon do their job thanks to a fast taunt from Crobat or threatening moves like CC from Virizion. I haven't seen anything consistent that has caused me trouble. I am always up for advice, but I really enjoy the Virizion/Houndoom core.

Thanks for checking out my RMT!​

 

[GenXXZ]

Hey, this is a really cool team. Virizion and Houndoom seem like they make a damn good offensive core that succeeds in eliminating a ton of threats. Nice work! I only have one thing to say.

I think you should switch Snorlax to the offensive Leftovers set. You already have some really good hard hitters like Virizion and Darmanitan that are providing a lot of offensive presence, and as a result, I think that the extra defensive utility that the Snorlax set provides will help your team a little more.

But really, that's it. This is a pretty well good team and congrats on the good ladder score.

 

[Aecor]

Decent peak my friend.

I would suggest you put 252 Atk and 244 Special Def EV's on Snorlax, the rest being dumped into speed. With this, you can outspeed other BandLax and you have a better special wall. You don't need Defensive EV's because you shouldn't be taking Physical Hits. You have Team Player and Crobat to take all kinds of Physical hits. Also, I would suggest running something over Crunch. Most of the time you're going to be pusuiting Ghosts, not staying in against them (They tend to Carry Will-o-Wisp or switch out).

I really think Scarfed Darmanitan is garbage in this Meta. It is OHK'd by ScarfGon and ScarfShao. For that reason and that reason alone, I would go with something like Scarf Flygon since it's a reliable clean-up Poke. Your offensive core is really good actually, so you don't need Mienshao. Mienshao hits hard but is a bit risky, whereas Flygon should be finishing off other Pokes.

 

[Patrick1088]

Thanks for the rates! I added the sp def evs to snorlax and everything is working good. As to switch out crunch what would you recommend? Fire punch?

As for switching gon for darm i found the power output not cutting it. Dragon/ground coverage was okay but it just wasnt threatening. Any other suggestions?

 

[Aecor]

I would really run Return > Body Slam.
As for Crunch < ???, I would suggest you toy around. I feel like your team doesn't need fire punch since it has no trouble with Bronzong since you have Darm and Hound. You could try Self Destruct to do some big damage once you're done with it.

 

[Patrick1088]

Thanks aecor. Ive been toying with this team amd have been hitying roadblocks with every change. Ive been playing around with seed bomb but thats been kinda meh. I find crunch to be extremely situational. Ill def try switching out self destruct over crunch/seed bomb.

Return does sound like a better option since ive nixed choice band on lax. Ill make sure to try it out!

 

[Psychotic]

Teammate Suggestions:
You have two Pursuit trappers on this team, but nothing besides Virizion really takes advantage of Ghost and Psychic types being removed. Since you are using this strategy, you need a fighting type sweeper that can just spam it's STAB move once it's checks have been taken out, or it is pretty pointless to run two Pursuit trappers. Therefore, I would recommend replacing Darmanitan with Moxie Scarf Heracross. Together, Snorlax and Houndoom eliminate Heracross's checks amazingly well, clearing the way for Hera to spam Close Combat and Megahorn. This change lessens the current Stealth Rock weakness as well, if the opponent managed to get SR up you were kind of screwed, because between hazard damage and Flare Blitz recoil, your sweeper tends to die quickly. This change makes your team a bit weaker to CB Crobat, but between Swampert, Snorlax, your own Crobat, and Heracross Stone Edge, it can be played around.

Moveset Suggestions:
If you make this change, I would highly recommend keeping Crunch on Snorlax as a way to take out Cofagrigus so that Heracross can sweep. I also agree with Aecor about changing Body Slam to Return, it gets 1HKO's on Raikou, Heracross, Zapdos after SR, and many other mons that it can't KO with Body Slam. The other movesets look pretty standard and can't be toyed with too much without somehow making the team worse.

Suggested Changes:

Hide

Heracross @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Good luck with the team, hope I helped!

 

[Patrick1088]

Thanks for the rate! Hera has definitely been an option. Doyou think sleep talk > earthquake would be better though?

 

[Psychotic]

I like Earthquake for Nidoqueen, and it is nice to have a consistent move to hit Fire types with and not have to worry about missing. I would only run Sleep Talk on Banded Guts Heracross tbh.

 

[Patrick1088]

Yeah i usually run guts hera almost always. Everybody prepares for moxie hera which makes guts more threatening imo but ill def try out scarf moxie hera and will advise. Thanks again!