XY LC How to Fighting Spam (Peaked #6)

[infamy]

How to Fighting Spam: An LC RMT by Infamy (Peaked #6)

Introduction​

Hi everyone, I'm Infamy and I play Little Cup a lot. I figure I should introduce myself, because I've only been posting for the past few days. I'm obviously new to the Smogon community, but the time I've spent here I've enjoyed a lot. I'm not good at playing mons but I'm not bad at writing walls of text. Outside of Pokemon, I'm a pretty boring person, I wrestle for my high school team (state champions :D), watch a lot of UFC, and play with my dog.

Anyway, on to the team. A few days ago, I decided I wanted to make a team around a sweeper that had kind of fallen out of the spotlight, Dragon Dance Scrafty. The team evolved from there, but I'll go into that in the teambuilding process. It's a very basic fighting spam archetype: fighting types + fletchling checks, but it's been working pretty well for me so far. I figured I might as well post it before ORAS comes along and gives me a new toy to play with in the form of an actually viable Pancham, because I figure I probably won't be using it once we have ORAS implemented. All of the Pokemon are named after my favorite MMA fighters, because I figured 1) MMA is awesome, and 2) half of them are fighters already. Here's a UFC highlight reel to set the stage for the team:

First Look

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I'm sorry, I can't figure out why there are two of these tabs in the post. I can only find one hide tag. So much for programming class. It's the second one that works :)

Teambuilding Process

I knew I wanted to make a team based around a late-game DD Scraggy sweep. (Sadly, it doesn't have the adorable pulling-up-its-pants animation anymore).

One of the big reasons Scraggy isn't as good this generation is because it gained a 4x weakness with the arrival of Fairies, so I added Croagunk to help deal with them. It also helps weaken opposing Fighting checks, while serving as my own Fighting check.

Timburr has many of the same checks and counters as Scraggy, so by adding it I put more pressure on them. It also gives me a third Fighting type to round out my Fighting spam core.

Next up I added Magnemite because it can take on the Fairies, psychics, and birds that would threaten my fighters.

I then added Archen as another Flying spam check. It also gives the team more offensive pressure and a good way to beat opposing fighters.

Last but not least, I added Eviolite Pawniard as a third Fletchling check and secondary check to (non-HP Fighting) Abra and Fairies.

I haven't made any changes to the team since then, but I'm happy to consider any of your suggestions!

In-Depth

Bas Rutten (Pawniard) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch​

Summary: Eviolite Pawniard, in my opinion, is one of the best Pokemon in this meta. It has the bulk to switch in on Fletchling's Acrobatics, take an Overheat, and kill with the combination of Iron Head and Sucker Punch (or two Sucker Punches). The best thing about it is that, for some reason, people almost always keep their Fletchlings in against it, thinking that I'm stupid and don't know about Overheat, which lets me kill the biggest threat to the team.

Moves: I carry Knock Off because it's 100% necessary on Pawniard. Stealth Rock is so that I can clear up a spot on Archen for Roost. Iron Head is a reliable STAB that can hit Fighting types on the switch. Sucker Punch is one of three forms of priority this team has.

Set Details: The EV spread along with Eviolite means that Fletchling has to get a max roll to 2HKO me with Overheat, and it can always survive Acrobatics + Overheat unless Fletch gets two max rolls. It also means that I hit Eviolite numbers in both of my defenses. I threw the rest of the EVs into Attack and Speed with a Jolly nature, because those are the stats that matter the most for him, and I can reach max investment in each while still having the bulk investment I need thanks to the way EVs work in LC.

Nickname: Pawniard is Bas Rutten because he has some very obvious flaws- wrestling for Bas, 4x Fighting weakness for Pawn- but still manages to be a significant threat.

Forrest Griffin (Archen) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Defeatist
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 180 Atk / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Roost
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
​

Summary: Archen is a really good Pokemon, and I find myself slapping it on nearly every team I make nowadays. It can fill so many roles- Stealth Rock, Defogger, Fast Pivot, Bulky Pivot... the list goes on. It's just an amazingly versatile Pokemon, and being one of the best stops to Flying spam around doesn't hurt it either. The main reason it earned a spot on the team was because it can stop every bird except opposing Archen, which I have other checks for (although the team is a bit Archen weak.).

Moves: Roost gives me reliable recovery after my Berry Juice is gone, which is huge because it lets Archen stay around for the entire battle. Acrobatics lets me hit really hard after my Berry Juice is consumed, giving me a guaranteed OHKO on Mienfoo, Timburr, Scraggy, Foongus, and Cottonee after rocks. Earthquake is coverage to let me hit Steels and Chinchou, although neither of those are particularly big threats to my team. Stone Edge is my second STAB option, and lets me OHKO pretty much every bird in the tier outside of Vullaby, who is easily 2HKOed.

Set Details: The HP EVs let me switch into Stealth Rock twice before Defeatist kicks in by giving me an odd number in HP. 180 Attack investment means that I hit 20 Attack, which is absolutely massive by Little Cup standards. 196 Speed and a Jolly nature let me hit 17 Speed, letting me outspeed or speedtie most of the meta. Berry Juice means that I don't have to Roost often in the early game, although at the cost of a 110 BP STAB Acrobatics.

Nickname: Archen is Forrest Griffin because he hits really, really hard, and even when you think he's Defeat(ist)ed, if you sleep on him, he'll make you regret it (Forrest Griffin once had his arm broken by a roundhouse, then had his opponent armbar that same arm, and proceeded to knock the guy out with his other hand.).

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Chuck Liddell (Magnemite) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 36 Def / 240 SpA / 76 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Endure
- Recycle
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon

Summary: Endure + Recycle Magnemite is a beast, there's no denying that. It's absurd how good this mon is in the current meta- no one's prepared for it. This little guy will rip teams to shreds, and he's almost always going to live a hit and hurt you back. The reason I have it on this team is because it checks pretty much every single weakness Fighting types have- it checks birdspam, it checks Abra, it checks Fairies- so it fits perfectly. It's hard to put into words just how much I love this mon right now.

Moves: Endure lets me live any hit I want to, in case my Sturdy is broken. Recycle lets me get my Berry Juice back so I can recover again. Thunderbolt and Flash Cannon give me strong, reliable STABs.

Set Details: 156 HP lets me hit 21 HP, enabling maximum recovery from Berry Juice. 240 Special Attack and a Modest nature max out my Special Attack to 20. 36 in Defense and 76 in Special Defense are the minimum to raise both my defenses by 1 point each.

Nickname: Magnemite is Chuck Liddell because neither one of them is ever really knocked out by one attack, except from one specific opponent: Mold Breaker Drilbur, in Magnemite's case, and Rampage Jackson in Chuck's. They also both hit hard and are capable of obtaining many knockouts.
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Cain Velasquez (Timburr) @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 76 Def / 156 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab / Bulk Up
​

Summary: Timburr is great. It hits hard and has recovery, priority, Knock Off, and can hit Fairies. It also gets Guts, which is really wonderful on a team as physically oriented as this. There's not a whole lot to say about Timburr, it punches things. Hard.

Moves: Drain Punch is obligatory. Mach Punch gives this team more priority, which is never a bad thing, especially considering Timburr's low Speed. Knock Off lets me hit Pokemon that resist or are immune to Fighting like Gastly, which can't OHKO me. Poison Jab lets me 2HKO Spritzee and Snubbull if I can hit them with a Knock Off on a switch-in.

Set Details: The EVs are standard for Timburr, I don't need anything else. I hit 25 HP, an Eviolite number in Special Defense, maxes Attack and the rest into Defense. Bulk Up can be run over Poison Jab if you want a secondary late-game sweeper, but I personally prefer Poison Jab for how much it helps the team.

Nickname: It's Cain Velasquez because Timburr punches things. Kind of like Cain, who cites being poor and his Mexican heritage as the reason for his determination in fighting, anytime you try to hurt Timburr with status, it just gets stronger. Nietzsche would be proud.

Fedor Emelianenko (Croagunk) @ Eviolite
Ability: Dry Skin
Level: 5
EVs: 132 HP / 28 Atk / 116 Def / 108 SpA / 116 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Vacuum Wave
- Sludge Bomb
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Summary: Croagunk is a great mon, and I've been seeing it get a lot of love lately- as it should. This guy can help out the team so much, and he has done exactly that many times. He can't really sweep, and rarely gets KOs himself, but he's a real team player.

Moves: Drain Punch gives Gunk his only recovery outside of rain, and is a good, reliable physical STAB. Knock Off is great for utility, walls are much less annoying when they lose their main source of bulk. Vacuum Wave is a good source of priority and lets me revenge kill mons when I don't want to risk Pawniard or Timburr. Sludge Bomb is nice because it hits Fairies for good damage, being a guaranteed 2HKO on both the major Fairies in the tier.

Set Details: These are standard Croagunk EVs and nature, gives it 23/ 18 / 18 defenses after Eviolite, Special Attack EVs guarantee that I always 2HKO Spritzee. The rest goes in Attack because it has physical attacks too.

Nickname: Croagunk is Fedor because it's very versatile, and, as demonstrated in the video above, Fedor is really hard to finish- just like Gunk.
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Showtime Pettis (Scraggy) @ Eviolite
Ability: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Zen Headbutt​

Summary: Here we are, the star of the team! This is the mon that I built the team around, and it has not disappointed- it doesn't always pull off a late-game sweep, but it's done it frequently enough that I think it still deserves to be called the center of the team. He can really destroy unprepared teams, so much so that I've been able to lead off with it against some opponents who have no real checks to a +2 Scraggy and literally just 6-0 them. It really appreciates the help that its teammates provide it, it couldn't be nearly as successful without them!

Moves: Dragon Dance lets me boost my Speed and Attack, meaning that Scraggy can outspeed every unboosted mon in the meta after one DD. High Jump Kick is because I like hitting things hard. Knock Off is a secondary STAB that lets me hit ghosts and psychics. Zen Headbutt is over Poison Jab because I already have four ways to hit Fairies for supereffective damage on the team, and only one real way to deal with Foongus.

Set Details: I started by maxing out his Attack and Speed, getting it to 14 Speed so that it can outspeed every unboosted mon in the meta after a single DD. I threw an Adamant nature on here because I want to hit things harder, and I didn't feel like 15 Speed helped me that much. I then threw the remaining EVs into Defense and Special Defense to hit Eviolite numbers, and the leftover EVs went into HP.

Nickname: It's Showtime Pettis because it kicks things, as shown in the above video.
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Threatlist
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Threatlist

Fletchling: I know I have three checks to it, but this Pokemon can force me into playing very predictably, and you have to make sure to keep checks to it alive- Timburr can live an Acro from full, but that should be a last resort.

Archen: Other than Magnemite, this guy can pretty much OHKO or 2HKO my entire team. If you see this in team preview, keep Magnemite at full.

Foongus: I don't have any sleep absorbers on this team, so this forces me to tread very carefully and make sure I sack the right Pokemon to sleep. After it's used Spore, though, it's not that bad.

Fairies: It is 100% necessary that you eliminate or severely weaken any and all Fairies before you try to sweep with Scraggy. Zen Headbutt can hit them neutrally, but unless it's already set up, it's not going to do very much. That being said, they don't threaten me much other than that.

Not much else that I can think of right now, might add some more later.

Importable​

How to Fighting Spam

Scraggy @ Eviolite
Ability: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Zen Headbutt

Timburr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 76 Def / 156 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab

Croagunk @ Eviolite
Ability: Dry Skin
Level: 5
EVs: 132 HP / 28 Atk / 116 Def / 108 SpA / 116 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Vacuum Wave
- Sludge Bomb

Magnemite @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 36 Def / 240 SpA / 76 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Endure
- Recycle
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon

Archen @ Berry Juice
Ability: Defeatist
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 180 Atk / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Roost
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch

Closing Words​

Yup, that's the team! Shoutouts go to Aaron's Aron for being really nice, he was the guy who made me realize how fun Smogon could be, Starmaster for trying to tutor me in Round 90 (time constraints meant we only had one lesson :(, but he's still a really cool guy), Rowan for recently getting promoted, Pancham for having an adorable avatar and hyping Chespin (which is a really fun Pokemon, use it now. Now. NOW.), Tricking for RMTing some really good teams that I stole and got me into the LC meta, and all the other sexy beasts that play LC.

I'd also like to apologize for the really low peak, but the ladders all reset and I didn't have much time to ladder today, otherwise I would've gotten a respectable peak. Proof of peak; also this. (Also if the ladder didn't bug the fuck out and not count my wins half the time this might have peaked #1 :/)

I'm really nervous posting this, so I hope you enjoy using this team, and feel free to leave any and all feedback you have- I'm still new to the meta, and my teambuilding skills weren't too good to begin with, but I think this is a fairly good team by my standards. Thanks for reading! :D (Also I think I'll add a battles section later if people want.)​

 

[Eren Yeagar]

Hey Infamy, you have an excellent team and I really love the fighting spam. :) Nice job!

First off, I think Timburr's EV spread should be changed to 76 HP / 36 Atk / 156 Def / 236 SpD with a Careful Nature. With this spread, Timburr can withstand one Psychic from the most common Abra (sash) and can Knock Off then Mach Punch on the following turn to KO. Timburr can be an Abra check if you want and it'll come handy in the future since your team is Abra weak.

I would like to recommend Defog over Roost on Archen. Despite losing recovery after consuming Berry Juice, Archen is rather too frail to get a Roost up (unless Eviolite Archen) and will most likely take more damage from your opponent than when it recovers. Defog will let you get hazards away from potentially ruining your Scraggy sweep. Plus, you can lure in Eviolite Pawniard and use Earthquake to 2HKO it.

Magnemite needs a little fixing too. Volt Switch over Thunderbolt on it will give you a lot of offensive momentum and will do remarkable damage since Magnemite has an amazing special attack stat. You could also pivot and Volt Switch out and send in one of your team members to most likely KO what Magnemite Volt Switched on due to its excellent damage.

That's all the suggestions I have for now! Good luck in your future battles! :)

 

[Corporal Levi]

Hi Infamy
This is a very strong team! A few Pokemon here and there might pose to be mildly troublesome, but I think the triple Fighting core will be more than enough to break through most of them.

One Pokemon that not even triple fighters will be enough to muscle through is Abra, who, with either its Sash HP Fighting or Sub LO sets, can sweep through nearly the entirety of your team except for a healthy Magnemite. As such, I would like to suggest the replacement of your current Pawniard set with Choice Scarf Pawniard, who can guarantee the removal of LO Abra or Gastly; although Choice Scarf Pawniard will only be able to bring sashbra down to its sash before being taken out, this will allow it to be far more easily taken out by Timburr or Croagunk, as opposed to the current Pawniard set, where Abra can use a non-attacking move or simply switch out in the face of Sucker Punch.
Pawniard @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
- Stealth Rock
Being locked into Stealth Rock may initially seem silly, but Pawniard will usually be forced out after one turn anyway, and Stealth Rock is a good way to take advantage of the switches Pawniard itself forces. It also often allows Pawniard to bluff a non-Scarf set.

As it is, Chinchou is able to freely come in on Magnemite and Volt Switch out without a hassle, which not only renders Magnemite mostly useless, but detracts from your team's momentum. For this reason, I would like to suggest running Hidden Power Ground, which can at least deal enough damage to threaten Chinchou enough that it'll think twice before switching in. Both Endure and Recycle are expendable in this case, as you have at least one back-up check for everything Magnemite checks, meaning Magnemite isn't hugely in need of a guaranteed Sturdy activation, because something else will likely be able to take the threat in question on, or extra survivability, because even if Magnemite is taken out, you have your other checks.

For Scraggy, I think Shed Skin would be a better ability; it helps you get around Foongus's Spore in a pinch, and leaves your team less vulnerable to Will-O-Wisp Larvesta/Ponyta, all of which would otherwise be able to impede a Scraggy sweep. STAB High Jump Kick or Knock Off coming from 17 Atk will usually suffice in terms of raw power, anyway.

I'm also going to agree with all of Eren's suggestions. 196 Atk isn't a bad spread for Poison Jab Timburr now that you have Choice Scarf Pawniard for Abra, but you should run an Impish nature maintaining the current spread to hit Eviolite numbers. Bulk Up Timburr should almost always run Eren's suggested spread to help set up Bulk Ups more easily.

That's it for now. Good work, and good luck!

oh and starmaster sucks by the way

 

[Star]

oh and starmaster sucks by the way

Was waiting for that to come up. The team is pretty cool overall but I see a gigantic archen weakness because its capable of ohkoing every single mon once stealth rock is up. Theres also a lack of speed as you dont have anything that reliably deals with Gastly which outruns and is capable of ohkoing everything once croagunk and timburr are a little bit weakened which isnt hard to do. For this reason I would use scarf magnemite over your current berry juice set. It gives you the speed and momentum you need to use your set up mon effectively. It forces out archen and really prevents it from outright screwing you over.

 

[Sablenite]

Hi Infamy


For Scraggy, I think Shed Skin would be a better ability; it helps you get around Foongus's Spore in a pinch, and leaves your team less vulnerable to Will-O-Wisp Larvesta/Ponyta, all of which would otherwise be able to impede a Scraggy sweep. STAB High Jump Kick or Knock Off coming from 17 Atk will usually suffice in terms of raw power, anyway.

I second this, as you can get another D-dance in.

 

[infamy]

Hey Infamy, you have an excellent team and I really love the fighting spam. :) Nice job!

First off, I think Timburr's EV spread should be changed to 76 HP / 36 Atk / 156 Def / 236 SpD with a Careful Nature. With this spread, Timburr can withstand one Psychic from the most common Abra (sash) and can Knock Off then Mach Punch on the following turn to KO. Timburr can be an Abra check if you want and it'll come handy in the future since your team is Abra weak.

I would like to recommend Defog over Roost on Archen. Despite losing recovery after consuming Berry Juice, Archen is rather too frail to get a Roost up (unless Eviolite Archen) and will most likely take more damage from your opponent than when it recovers. Defog will let you get hazards away from potentially ruining your Scraggy sweep. Plus, you can lure in Eviolite Pawniard and use Earthquake to 2HKO it.

Magnemite needs a little fixing too. Volt Switch over Thunderbolt on it will give you a lot of offensive momentum and will do remarkable damage since Magnemite has an amazing special attack stat. You could also pivot and Volt Switch out and send in one of your team members to most likely KO what Magnemite Volt Switched on due to its excellent damage.

That's all the suggestions I have for now! Good luck in your future battles! :)

I'm definitely going to consider changing Timburr's spread, but Levi said it wasn't a bad spread with his changes, so I'm going to have to think about it. I actually originally had Defog on Archen, but it wasn't too useful so I put Roost on there instead. I'll try it out again though. Volt Switch on Mag seems like it's the better option, it gives this team some much needed momentum.

Hi Infamy
This is a very strong team! A few Pokemon here and there might pose to be mildly troublesome, but I think the triple Fighting core will be more than enough to break through most of them.

One Pokemon that not even triple fighters will be enough to muscle through is Abra, who, with either its Sash HP Fighting or Sub LO sets, can sweep through nearly the entirety of your team except for a healthy Magnemite. As such, I would like to suggest the replacement of your current Pawniard set with Choice Scarf Pawniard, who can guarantee the removal of LO Abra or Gastly; although Choice Scarf Pawniard will only be able to bring sashbra down to its sash before being taken out, this will allow it to be far more easily taken out by Timburr or Croagunk, as opposed to the current Pawniard set, where Abra can use a non-attacking move or simply switch out in the face of Sucker Punch.
Pawniard @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
- Stealth Rock
Being locked into Stealth Rock may initially seem silly, but Pawniard will usually be forced out after one turn anyway, and Stealth Rock is a good way to take advantage of the switches Pawniard itself forces. It also often allows Pawniard to bluff a non-Scarf set.

As it is, Chinchou is able to freely come in on Magnemite and Volt Switch out without a hassle, which not only renders Magnemite mostly useless, but detracts from your team's momentum. For this reason, I would like to suggest running Hidden Power Ground, which can at least deal enough damage to threaten Chinchou enough that it'll think twice before switching in. Both Endure and Recycle are expendable in this case, as you have at least one back-up check for everything Magnemite checks, meaning Magnemite isn't hugely in need of a guaranteed Sturdy activation, because something else will likely be able to take the threat in question on, or extra survivability, because even if Magnemite is taken out, you have your other checks.

For Scraggy, I think Shed Skin would be a better ability; it helps you get around Foongus's Spore in a pinch, and leaves your team less vulnerable to Will-O-Wisp Larvesta/Ponyta, all of which would otherwise be able to impede a Scraggy sweep. STAB High Jump Kick or Knock Off coming from 17 Atk will usually suffice in terms of raw power, anyway.

I'm also going to agree with all of Eren's suggestions. 196 Atk isn't a bad spread for Poison Jab Timburr now that you have Choice Scarf Pawniard for Abra, but you should run an Impish nature maintaining the current spread to hit Eviolite numbers. Bulk Up Timburr should almost always run Eren's suggested spread to help set up Bulk Ups more easily.

That's it for now. Good work, and good luck!

oh and starmaster sucks by the way

I've used Stealth Rock Scarf Pawn before, it's a really fun mon to use because you can really fuck with people, and I'm definitely going to put either it or Scarf Mag on the team. I'm definitely going to run HP Ground on Mag over Endure, it hasn't been that useful. Shed Skin on Scraggy does seem like a better idea because it does let me have some sort of switch-in to Spore.

Was waiting for that to come up. The team is pretty cool overall but I see a gigantic archen weakness because its capable of ohkoing every single mon once stealth rock is up. Theres also a lack of speed as you dont have anything that reliably deals with Gastly which outruns and is capable of ohkoing everything once croagunk and timburr are a little bit weakened which isnt hard to do. For this reason I would use scarf magnemite over your current berry juice set. It gives you the speed and momentum you need to use your set up mon effectively. It forces out archen and really prevents it from outright screwing you over.

I'm going to try this out. Thanks for the suggestion!

I second this, as you can get another D-dance in.

Definitely going to be changing the ability to Shed Skin.

Thanks to all of you for helping me out with this team- it means a lot to me! I'm going to test all the suggestions right now, thanks again!