Freaks & Animals
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Introduction
First of all, let’s get the theme out of the way. As my previous RMT, 10,000 Day Eulogy shows, I’m an avid fan of hard and progressive rock. In my never ending attempt to search for new music to listen to, I eventually stumbled upon Rishloo, a rock band band from Seattle. Rishloo’s unique style and technique is something that I can only really compare to the likes of Tool, whom I also like, making every single one of their songs intriguing. In short, they’re an amazing band and I can only hope that this RMT can generate a little bit of interest for a relatively unknown, yet extremely talented band. Freaks & Animals is just one of their numerous tracks worth listening to.
Ok, now onto the Pokemon side of things. My playstyle has changed dramatically throughout my competitive Pokemon ‘career’. In fact, my first tutor, Lizardman as he’s known on here, is a firm believer in the use of Hyper Offense and Offense in general. As I grew as a player though, I found out that I am a fairly conservative player and like to play the game at a slower pace. From this stemmed my current playstyle of Stall and Semi-stall. I feel that Stall’s success lies more within the team build and flow of the team, and I love creating teams that are as solid as possible. Yes, Offense is better off with a good team flow, but I am of the opinion that you can get away without it if you pack enough speedy sweepers. Stall isn’t like that. If you have a weak link or spot on the team, it is easily exploited and can lead to disaster.
Usually I base my teams off supporting a strong defensive core or bulky set-upper and when I chose to make this team I did no different. This time I decided to base the team off supporting CM Celebi, whom I believe is great in the current metagame. No one expects CM, which lets it beat some of it’s usually counters and when combined with its great physical bulk and the right support, it’s an absolute beast. So far, I haven’t got the sweeping results that I once hoped for, but the team seems to function extremely well all the same even without Celebi sweeping. When I do get it set up though, it’s terribly threatening and has destroyed many teams that happen to be ill-equipped for it. All-in-all, this is my favorite and most successful team to date, so without further adieu, Freaks & Animals…
The Team
Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 220 SDef / 36 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Roost
- Whirlwind
I have a hard time making a team without Skarmory, simply put. I honestly believe that it’s the best Mon in the metagame. It straight up walls so many things it’s not even funny. For this particular team, it plays a vital yet very vague role. Basically, it’s just here to weaken teams as much as possible. It does this through Spiking, pHazing and Taunting. When teams are constantly being shuffled around through all 3 entry hazards and then being Taunted to stop healing, damage is going to be built up and eventually the opposing team is gonna be on the brink of crumbling. When this happens, I know Skarm has done its job. From there, the rest of the team easily supports this slow weakening of the opponent by soaking up attacks and striking back methodically. This is partially why Skarm is in the lead spot. With early spikes, the opponent gets worn down that much quicker. Also, Taunt allows me to stop early setup in the form of entry hazards which has proven invaluable as the team is sort of weak to entry hazards if Starmie is gone.
The overall set is fairly standard. SpD Skarm is something that has grown more popluar overtime and now it’s almost expected, and for good reason. The extra SpD makes me a sort of mixed wall and in turn allows me to spike and pHaze a lot more easily on threats that would normally be an issue. I already went over the 3 main moves of the set, besides the obvious Roost, but again, Spikes + Taunt + Whirlwind, along with other means of indirect damage within the team, are my main methods of racking up damage and beginning the downfall of most teams. I use 36 Spe EVs because I like to speed creep and outspeeding other Skarms to the Taunt has always been something I love doing.
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
The second member of the team is also pretty standard, although it has kinda dropped in usage in my eyes. As DD Tar and CB Tar are seeing a bit more use, the utility this Tar brings to the team is just too valuable to give up. Not only does Tar start Sandstream, another means of indirect damage for the team, it’s also really my only directly Offensive Mon. ScarfTar brings some much needed speed to the table for an overall very slow team. The main reason for it being added though was it’s ability to Pursuit. One of the biggest threats to a spike-stacking team is Starmie, who can come in and threaten teams with a powerful attack or rapid spin and if you don’t predict perfectly, it can be extremely annoying. Tar tries to remedy this by getting rid of Starmie early. It’s utility doesn’t stop there though as it also checks Infernape, Gengar, Zapdos and Dragonite, all who can be troublesome to more defensively oriented teams.
Again, standard set is standard. Stone Edge, Crunch and Pursuit are basically mandatory and the only reason I’m using Superpower is because I don’t really have any other way of directly beating Blissey other than stalling it out with TS. Max Speed and Attack EVs.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Ah finally, a not-so-standard team member. Originally, I had Vaporeon in this spot to provide Wish support to Nidoqueen and the rest of the team but over time that changed due in large part to user Heist. Heist, who I’d like to give a shout out to because of all the help and guidance he’s given me over my time spent playing Pokemon, showed me how weak the team was to opposing spike-stacking teams. With his help, I decided to change this Water slot to Starmie. I’ve never looked back. Starmie helps keep the team intact in a way no other Water type could, be it through Rapid Spin or the numerous threats that it keeps in check, including Infernape, Gliscor, Dragonite and Heatran.
This set is a little different than most bulky Starmies. Like most, I have max HP, but that’s where the standardness stops. At first I was using a spread of Timid – 252 HP/ 40 Def/ 216 Spe. It wasn’t an issue of that set not working, it was just that I think I could get more mileage out of Starmie by using something different and more physical bulk would help against ScarfTar. I then started using a spread of Timid – 252 HP/ 232 Def/ 28 Spe, which allowed me to outspeed Rotom as well as survive a Crunch / Pursuit from ScarfTar if need be. After that, I tested the team for a while and found it to be quite weak to Gliscor. One match in particular, in which my Starmie got KOd by Gliscor’s EQ and the rest of my team being walled due to it not outspeeding, changed my mind once and for all. I put 96 EVs into Speed so that I always outspeed Gliscor, threw the rest into Def and that’s what I’ve stuck with. As you may notice, I also use Hydro Pump over Surf. This is just personal preference as I like hitting incoming Rotom as hard as possible. I also think the team benefits more from Ice Beam than Thunderbolt because it can hit bulky Dragonite and incoming Grass-types, who can be a pain.
Nidoqueen (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Toxic Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
And here we are, the driving force, aka the glue of the team. I know for a fact that this team would not function without Nidoqueen. It checks things like Lucario, Tar, and Sub Roost Zappy who otherwise can be terribly threatening. That only scratches the surface of its usefulness though. Its Poison typing gives me a second way of getting rid of TS, something very troublesome for the team as half the team is affected by it. Not only that, but Nido also lays down SR and TS of my own, the latter probably being the most important aspect of the team. With 2 layers of TS down, I can thoroughly stall out most things with CM Celebi factoring in its great physical bulk and ability to boost its special bulk. This is also how I usually beat Blissey: Poisoning it then Stalling out with either Starmie, Celebi, or Skarmory.
Max defense is needed to continually check both Tar and Lucario and the last EV point is just thrown into SpA to slightly boost FB. EQ is for STAB and FB allows me to hit Forry, a dominant spinner, and Scizor for a great chunk of damage.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Will-O-Wisp
- Thunderbolt
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Unlike other spots on the team, this spot is still kind of up in the air, although I use Rotom mostly. The second Mon I usually use is a RestTalk Heatran with Calm – 252 HP/ 176 SpD/ 80 Spe, along with slight variations of the team like Tbolt on Starmie and Toxic > Taunt on Skarm to give me a chance against Dragonite. This may seem strange seeing as they both have almost polar opposite typings, but that’s the point. Both versions of the team function differently and better against certain teams. I have had the most success with the Rotom version though, so I’ve decided to stick with it full time. Rotom is obviously my Spin blocker, which, guess what, is not always needed for spike-stacking teams! I like to use one on this team just because Forry can be such a dick sometimes. Other than spin-blocking, Rotom performs a multitude of other jobs for the team. First and foremost, it is my main check to Gyarados and Machamp. Secondly, it does a great job of spreading status in the form of WoW to those who are unaffected by TS and crippled by Burn. Thirdly, and arguably most valuably, it acts as my status absorber, which is incredibly important on defensive teams.
The so called standard RestTalk Rotom set calls for 252 HP/ 120 Def/ 136, but I like max defense so that I’m guaranteed to check what I want to. Thunderbolt for STAB and WoW to cripple physical attackers, especially Siczor and Tar switchins.
Celebi @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 4 SAtk / 72 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Energy Ball
- Earth Power
Finally, the last member. For those thinking it, yes, the RMT’s almost done! Anyways, what can I say? I love this set. Although I’d like to run Psychic > EP(beating Tran is just too vital), this set functions great nonetheless. There are many variations on the coverage moves for CM Celebi, but I’ve found these 2 to work the best, mainly because luring in and beating the most common Mon in the game, Heatran, is always satisfying. What are the common switchins to Celebi? Heatran, Infernape, Gengar, and Rotom (there are other, I’m just naming some off the top of my head). If you notice, most of those use the SpA side of attacking to beat Celebi. Well, CM boosts that SpD stat right up and allows me to beat all of those eventually. Not only that, but it boosts SpA as well, and once I’m at +6, which surprisingly happens a lot, not much is going to stop me. This is probably my favorite set at the moment and I encourage all of you to use it, as I know some well known players like Stone_Cold22 and Eo Ut Mortus already have. With the right support, it’s absolutely devastating and becomes one of the best bulky set-uppers in the game.
For the set, I kinda made it myself. I’ve tried many different CM Celebi variations and found the physically bulky version to work best. After deciding that I just tweaked the spread to my liking. 72 Spe allows me outspeed all neutral natured Heatran, letting me hit them with a +1 EP. 4 SpA EVs were just thrown on to always break standard Breloom’s sub with Energy Ball. Speaking of Energy Ball, the reason I’m using it over GK is simply because I want to be able to hit Rotom for a reasonable amount of damage. I would use Psychic > a Grass move for better coverage overall, but I’m kind weak to things like Suicune, so a STAB Grass move helps with that.
Conclusion
I’d like to thank all of you for reading through the RMT. I put a lot of work in the RMT and the team itself, so any and all help would be appreciated even though this is sort of my last 4th gen team. A special shout out to Heist and AB2 for being an incredible help to me and the outcome of this team as well as people at the Official Serebii League Xat, where I spend most of my pokemon related time, for allowing me to test this team to its fullest. Serenubs ftw.
