Have not done this in a while (OU)

[Arcanine Admirer]

Hi I just recently started playing DP again on Shoddy. Alot of things have changed since the netbattle days. (Most obvious comment of the day) After reading 'A treatise on newly posted teams' I have to say I agree that there are simply too manny threats to counter in DP. It has gotten alot more complicated, but it makes things much more interesting =)

Here is a team I made using mainly some old concepts from ADV. It is pretty much a basic TSS team.

Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
---
I always liked CBtar. It could do massive amounts of damage to anything. Nothing can switch in safely. Back in ADV I used to use Foccus Punch over Pursuit, and initially I tried that in DP but now that Pursuit is physical it makes it much more appealing to use to catch all those Celebi and Cresselia. I also didnt find much use for Focus Punch anymore since Stone Edge has a 150 base power itself and Crunch isnt far of with 120. Using it as a lead is sometimes proving to be difficult with all those Focus Blast Gengars, and Weavilles often used as leads.

Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 204 HP/36 Spd/108 SAtk/160 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Surf
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
---
Used it recently instead of Starmie as a spinner, partly due to its ability to Toxic spike. I think that maybe this is the pokemon most likely to get the drop since I find it very dificult to switch it in. Maybe Ice beam on it is overkill considering I have three other pokemon on my team with ice moves..
Was conidering Forrestress but then that would increase my Magnezone weak..

Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP/100 Atk/148 Def/8 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Spikes
---
I considered dropping skarm and Tentacruel for Forrestress and another pokemon (which im not quite sure about yet although it should probably be flying type or have levitate ability to increase ground resistance) but then the problem would be that I would not have a phazer. Also Skarm has done very well for me. Skarm is a solid physical wall with recovering ability and spikes well while Brave Bird often cathes out Pesky Infernape and Heracross on the switch who think that skarm will spike.

Vaporeon (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 188 HP/252 Def/68 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Wish
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Generally heals the team. Very solid pokemon. Used to have Protect over HP Electric but Gyarados proved to be too much of a problem. Hp Electric also allows me to hurt fellow waters.
---
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 244 HP/60 Atk/200 Def/4 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Ice Fang
- Roost
- Earthquake
---
Added it after Lucario and Heracross destroyed my team a couple of times. Also counters pesky Garchomp to an extent. Stops infernape with prediction too..but some run hp ice which is very troublesome.

Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 148 HP/252 Def/108 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Softboiled
- Ice Beam
- Sing
---
Most people do not expect Bolt Beam after it uses sing. It has been very useful in walling special threats, which my team otherwise has a problem with.

I have alot of trouble with Infernape and Deoxys S. These finishers tend to destroy my team after it has been weakened. Also I may lack a fast sweeper who can clean up after the TSS has taken its toll, but Im not sure who to drop or replace... Not having a ghost type to block rapid spin also hurts.
This team neads alot of work imo so any help would be welcome =)

 

[Conan Edogawa415]

I would defintely try to fit a garchomp in here. You have the lead sandstorm, and he is also one of the best pokemon in the game, so it realy benefits to use him.

 

[SonicBladeStrike]

Jolly YacheBerry Garchomp would be perfect, with SD, Outrage, Earthquake, and Fire Fang. EV's - 252 Atk / 252 Spe

It could take the hit from deoxys (ice beam) and could kill ape.

And you could also abuse Sand Veil. I would drop tenta or skarm

 

[Arcanine Admirer]

Garchomp is definitely a good option. With its stats, movepool and sand veil its almost uber imo. But if I drop tenta then my team lacks a spinner, and skarm=phazer+ground resist.. Is phazing still important in DP though?

 

[backflip]

Yache Berry Garchomp over Skarmory would be fantastic, but not as a Deoxys counter, simply something to help out Tyranitar on the Offensive front. This is simply a matter of opinion, but PHazing really isn't to crucial against the current metagame, as people general find it easier to simply pound opponents with their threats rather then to waste time PHazing theirs.

You really shouldn't be having Infernape issues; Tentacruel is the best MixApe counter DP has to offer. He just needs to be a bit Bulkier, especially since he's also your Toxic Spiker/Spinner; 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 Sp.Def to make sure he sticks around.

Nothing sucks more then investing all the time needed in setting up all three entry hazards only to have them Spun away; long story short you REALLY need a Ghost Pokemon since this team is so heavily reliant on Spikes damage. This is especially necessary if you decide to keep Skarmory over Garchomp. Dusknoir in place of Blissey is a solid answer to every OU spinner you'll meet:
Dusknoir @ Leftovers
Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
252 HP / 76 Def / 160 SpD
~Shadow Sneak
~Pain Split
~Will-o-Wisp
~Thunder Punch/Fire Punch
Thunder Punch combined with either Toxic Spikes or Burn damage will wear down Tentacruel and Starmie. Forretress can be Burned, making him utterly useless. Ideally you would like to burn Donphan as it also makes him rather useless, but he can't do much to Dusknoir either way. Fire Punch hits Donphan, but it's more of a personal quirk against Magnezone, whom I find particularly annoying. A Special Defense orientated Dusknoir also really helps out against Deoxys, who is 3HKO'd by Shadow Ball and 2HKO's with Shadow Sneak.

 

[Sqwert]

Since gliscor and tentacruel's main functions are countering heracross and SDLuke, while setting up stealth rock and toxic spikes, you could replace them for Nidoqueen since she can do all those things in a single moveset and then, have space for the antispinner dusknoir backflip already posted without needing to drop blissey. A Nidoqueen set like this one should do the trick:

Nidoqueen @ leftovers
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 6 Atk
Impish / Relaxed
-Earthquake
-Aerial Ace / Fire Blast
-Toxic Spikes
-Stealth Rock

If my memory's right Luke's Sword Danced Close Combat is merely a 3HKO to this set so you can easily counter with an OHKO'ing Earthquake or set up tspikes / stealth rock in the switch. Fire Blast is an option over Aerial Ace to handle Forretress, but since you would already have dusknoir for the job, the best way to go to counter heracross should be Aerial Ace.

Also, even if you replace dusk + nidoqueen > tenta + gliscor, mixape shouldn't be much of a problem with the specially bulky dusk hanging around with its immunity to Close Combat and neutrality to all other attacks while the ape takes the accumulative residual damage in form of sandstorm, toxic spikes, and life orb.

 

[Arcanine Admirer]

Thanks for the advice guys =) I'm trying out the different options. Replacing Skarm with chomp and blissey with dusknoir. Then I'll try Nidoqueen to see how it works.