Hi everyone, this is DC, your friendly neighborhood C&C moderator. Today, I am bringing you a spicy and fun LC team to experiment with you on your LC journey. It is great to see an influx of LC RMTs after going for so long with like one RMT for a 2 month period. This team was originally made a couple months ago during SCL and tweaked subsequently, but I have been saving it for this moment to mark a milestone. Without further ado, lets dive into the history and building process for this team!
History
Like mentioned previously, this team was build a couple months ago during the later stages of SCL. Venipede made its debut on a spikes-stacking team (I believe on dcae's team?) and did really well. So I thought "Why not make it the star on a team as an offensive threat?" It fared extremely well into this meta where Ferroseed was the predominant Steel-type over Pawniard, Natu existed on like every team (which it still does), and the fastest Pokemon was like Choice Scarf Porygon. (Also can't forget high Grookey usage!) The team is not as strong in this current meta, where faster Pokemon like +1 Carvanha exists and stuff like Larvesta being everywhere on ladder, but it still matches well into these Grookey + Abra builds.
The Actual Team =)
(s/o ~coil~ on tumblr for this amazing drawing!)
Hypersonic Missiles (Venipede) @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 44 Def / 220 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pin Missile
- Poison Jab
- Protect
- Spikes
The star of the show and a broken bug. Venipede has an interesting combination of traits that give a decent viability in the meta. Speed Boost lets Venipede outspeed the most common Choice Scarf user in Porygon, which was incredibly useful in the original meta the team was built it. Its typing is decently underrated; having a 4x resistance to Fighting and Grass is very good when Mienfoo is everywhere and Grookey has high usage. Finally, its best trait is Pin Missile (when u actually land it LOL). Multi-hit moves in LC are broken in multiple instances and Bug is a great offensive typing in LC; when u combine both attributes, u have a strong offensive move that hits metagame staples like Ferroseed and Pawniard, Natu, Focus Sash Abra, and Porygon for great damage. Poison Jab is the secondary STAB move to hit Fighting- and Fire-types. Spikes is actually one of the main reasons to use Venipede, and it actually gives Venipede a certain utility that most offensive threats in the tier don't carry. It allows Venipede to break down its own checks or gives it a role in matchups where it isn't gonna be potent offensively and just serve as a utility Pokemon.
Relevant Calcs:
236+ Atk Life Orb Venipede Pin Missile (5 hits) vs. 84 HP / 108+ Def Eviolite Ferroseed: 20-25 (90.9 - 113.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
236+ Atk Life Orb Venipede Pin Missile (4 hits) vs. 36 HP / 236 Def Eviolite Natu: 16-20 (76.1 - 95.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
236+ Atk Life Orb Venipede Pin Missile (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Tyrunt: 20-25 (90.9 - 113.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
236+ Atk Life Orb Venipede Pin Missile (5 hits) vs. 44 HP / 156+ Def Foongus: 25-40 (104.1 - 166.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock (basically 2HKO with 3 hits)
S Rank (Mienfoo) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 196 Def / 116 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 29 Spe
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Mienfoo is the second member of the team and it covers a lot of the defensive loopholes that using Venipede creates. Originally, fast Foo was preferred on this team to pressure foes like 16 Speed Pawniard and Natu, but I found that slow Foo benefitted the team more. Firstly, it was a better check to opposing fast foo, which was much better cuz I didn't have to force 50/50s. Secondly, it helped exceptionally against threats like Dragon Dance Onix and Mudbray. Lastly, it synergized well with Diglett much more and made trapping Mareanie, one of the common counters to Venipede, much easier. The set is quite straightforward and does not need much explanation. Fake Out for priority and revenge killing, High Jump Kick to nuke something, Knock Off to cripple foes like Koffing and Mareanie, and a slow U-turn to bring in Venipede or another teammate.
I Click EQ (Diglett) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpD / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Beat Up
- Final Gambit
- Rock Slide
Next up is Diglett. Choice Scarf Diglett is my blanket check to all the problematic Fire-types in the tier (cough, cough sun teams) and a way to remove annoying Poison-types for Venipede. Beat Up with this EV spread lets Diglett actually switch into non-Life Orb Abra's Psychic and remove it. Final Gambit is a way to effectively trade in problematic matchups such as eliminating Larvesta for good when u don't have Stealth Rock to pressure it or removing something like Mienfoo. Rock Slide is a more recent addition that is meant to deal with the rise of Larvesta on the LC ladder; it actually doesn't OHKO Larvesta from full (cuz Diglett has woat attack) and you actually need Stealth Rock to pressure it.
King (Pawniard) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 196 SpD / 116 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
Insert obligatory Steel-type. It was a choice between Ferroseed and Pawniard so I went with the more offensive option. Pawniard prevents the team from getting 6-0ed by Agility Porygon and serves a way to pressure Koffing in tandem with the rest of the crew. It compresses Stealth Rock setter, Knock Off user, and priority in one slot, which is a lot better than Ferroseed's better defensive utility. It is also one of the only two Stealth Rock setters that can reliably set against Natu.
Broken Birb (Natu) @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Bounce
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Def / 36 SpA / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
- Roost
Natu is the 5th member of the team. Originally, I had Abra in this slot, since its offensive capabilities aligned nicely with Venipede and pressured everything Venipede hates, like Poison-types, Frillish, and Natu. However, it was apparently that not using entry hazard control on a team with Venipede is just asking for disaster. That is when I decided to switch over to a more defensive Psychic-type. Natu is the team's only source of hazard control, provides the team with a reliable switch-in into Koffing, and soft checks the powerful Mudbray. Psychic and Heat Wave are mandatory, but you can customize the third slot to fit your needs. U-turn is my preferred move to keep initative with the team, but I also found success with Shadow Ball to pressure opposing Natu and Frillish.
Team Filler (Mareanie) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 12 Atk / 180 Def / 92 SpA / 100 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Recover
- Sludge Bomb
Rounding off the squad is Mareanie. The original spot in the team belonged to defensive Staryu, which provided the team with entry hazard control and a way to pressure opposing Water-types. However, relying on Venipede as your sole Fighting resist is not it. Mareanie has similar defensive niches to Staryu (minus Rapid Spin) while having a crucial Fighting resistance. Knock Off is the cherry on the top; removing Eviolite from foes like Ferroseed and Natu makes a lot of the calcs I provided with Venipede a lot more reliable.
Threatlist
+ 
Individually, each are annoying, but together they are even worse. Larvesta takes like zero damage from Pin Missile and clicking Poison Jab is asking to get burned. A lot of the time, the way to get rid of it is to trade foo and land a Knock Off on it (and get burned kek) and slow pivot into Diglett to trap it. This is very unreliable if Frillish is on the other team. Frillish 1v1 every Pokemon on this team outside of Pawniard and basically burns everything. Best way to pressure both foes is to get Stealth Rock up and often trade a burn for a Knock Off.
Dragon Dance Onix is one of the best offensive Pokemon against this team. It basically forces you to preserve foo HP and makes u play on the backfoot a lot of the time.
Importable
https://pokepast.es/8fceb0b2d74f0041
Reflection / Shoutouts
Its been about 4 years since I have joined Smogon and about 11? years since I discovered the site. A lot has happened over the 4 years, and I'm really thankful for all the friends I have made along the way. I remembered watching my first competitive match and seeing Choice Band Ferrothorn being used and really thinking how fun Pokemon was. This prolly isn't gonna be a super extensive shoutout cuz I suck at these types of things, but hopefully I don't screw it up too bad lol.
(s/o ~coil~ on tumblr for this amazing drawing!)
Hypersonic Missiles (Venipede) @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 44 Def / 220 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pin Missile
- Poison Jab
- Protect
- Spikes
The star of the show and a broken bug. Venipede has an interesting combination of traits that give a decent viability in the meta. Speed Boost lets Venipede outspeed the most common Choice Scarf user in Porygon, which was incredibly useful in the original meta the team was built it. Its typing is decently underrated; having a 4x resistance to Fighting and Grass is very good when Mienfoo is everywhere and Grookey has high usage. Finally, its best trait is Pin Missile (when u actually land it LOL). Multi-hit moves in LC are broken in multiple instances and Bug is a great offensive typing in LC; when u combine both attributes, u have a strong offensive move that hits metagame staples like Ferroseed and Pawniard, Natu, Focus Sash Abra, and Porygon for great damage. Poison Jab is the secondary STAB move to hit Fighting- and Fire-types. Spikes is actually one of the main reasons to use Venipede, and it actually gives Venipede a certain utility that most offensive threats in the tier don't carry. It allows Venipede to break down its own checks or gives it a role in matchups where it isn't gonna be potent offensively and just serve as a utility Pokemon.
Relevant Calcs:
236+ Atk Life Orb Venipede Pin Missile (5 hits) vs. 84 HP / 108+ Def Eviolite Ferroseed: 20-25 (90.9 - 113.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
236+ Atk Life Orb Venipede Pin Missile (4 hits) vs. 36 HP / 236 Def Eviolite Natu: 16-20 (76.1 - 95.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
236+ Atk Life Orb Venipede Pin Missile (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Tyrunt: 20-25 (90.9 - 113.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
236+ Atk Life Orb Venipede Pin Missile (5 hits) vs. 44 HP / 156+ Def Foongus: 25-40 (104.1 - 166.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock (basically 2HKO with 3 hits)
S Rank (Mienfoo) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 196 Def / 116 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 29 Spe
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Mienfoo is the second member of the team and it covers a lot of the defensive loopholes that using Venipede creates. Originally, fast Foo was preferred on this team to pressure foes like 16 Speed Pawniard and Natu, but I found that slow Foo benefitted the team more. Firstly, it was a better check to opposing fast foo, which was much better cuz I didn't have to force 50/50s. Secondly, it helped exceptionally against threats like Dragon Dance Onix and Mudbray. Lastly, it synergized well with Diglett much more and made trapping Mareanie, one of the common counters to Venipede, much easier. The set is quite straightforward and does not need much explanation. Fake Out for priority and revenge killing, High Jump Kick to nuke something, Knock Off to cripple foes like Koffing and Mareanie, and a slow U-turn to bring in Venipede or another teammate.
I Click EQ (Diglett) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpD / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Beat Up
- Final Gambit
- Rock Slide
Next up is Diglett. Choice Scarf Diglett is my blanket check to all the problematic Fire-types in the tier (cough, cough sun teams) and a way to remove annoying Poison-types for Venipede. Beat Up with this EV spread lets Diglett actually switch into non-Life Orb Abra's Psychic and remove it. Final Gambit is a way to effectively trade in problematic matchups such as eliminating Larvesta for good when u don't have Stealth Rock to pressure it or removing something like Mienfoo. Rock Slide is a more recent addition that is meant to deal with the rise of Larvesta on the LC ladder; it actually doesn't OHKO Larvesta from full (cuz Diglett has woat attack) and you actually need Stealth Rock to pressure it.
King (Pawniard) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 196 SpD / 116 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
Insert obligatory Steel-type. It was a choice between Ferroseed and Pawniard so I went with the more offensive option. Pawniard prevents the team from getting 6-0ed by Agility Porygon and serves a way to pressure Koffing in tandem with the rest of the crew. It compresses Stealth Rock setter, Knock Off user, and priority in one slot, which is a lot better than Ferroseed's better defensive utility. It is also one of the only two Stealth Rock setters that can reliably set against Natu.
Broken Birb (Natu) @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Bounce
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Def / 36 SpA / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
- Roost
Natu is the 5th member of the team. Originally, I had Abra in this slot, since its offensive capabilities aligned nicely with Venipede and pressured everything Venipede hates, like Poison-types, Frillish, and Natu. However, it was apparently that not using entry hazard control on a team with Venipede is just asking for disaster. That is when I decided to switch over to a more defensive Psychic-type. Natu is the team's only source of hazard control, provides the team with a reliable switch-in into Koffing, and soft checks the powerful Mudbray. Psychic and Heat Wave are mandatory, but you can customize the third slot to fit your needs. U-turn is my preferred move to keep initative with the team, but I also found success with Shadow Ball to pressure opposing Natu and Frillish.
Team Filler (Mareanie) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 12 Atk / 180 Def / 92 SpA / 100 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Recover
- Sludge Bomb
Rounding off the squad is Mareanie. The original spot in the team belonged to defensive Staryu, which provided the team with entry hazard control and a way to pressure opposing Water-types. However, relying on Venipede as your sole Fighting resist is not it. Mareanie has similar defensive niches to Staryu (minus Rapid Spin) while having a crucial Fighting resistance. Knock Off is the cherry on the top; removing Eviolite from foes like Ferroseed and Natu makes a lot of the calcs I provided with Venipede a lot more reliable.
Threatlist
+ Individually, each are annoying, but together they are even worse. Larvesta takes like zero damage from Pin Missile and clicking Poison Jab is asking to get burned. A lot of the time, the way to get rid of it is to trade foo and land a Knock Off on it (and get burned kek) and slow pivot into Diglett to trap it. This is very unreliable if Frillish is on the other team. Frillish 1v1 every Pokemon on this team outside of Pawniard and basically burns everything. Best way to pressure both foes is to get Stealth Rock up and often trade a burn for a Knock Off.
Dragon Dance Onix is one of the best offensive Pokemon against this team. It basically forces you to preserve foo HP and makes u play on the backfoot a lot of the time.
Importable
https://pokepast.es/8fceb0b2d74f0041
Reflection / Shoutouts
Its been about 4 years since I have joined Smogon and about 11? years since I discovered the site. A lot has happened over the 4 years, and I'm really thankful for all the friends I have made along the way. I remembered watching my first competitive match and seeing Choice Band Ferrothorn being used and really thinking how fun Pokemon was. This prolly isn't gonna be a super extensive shoutout cuz I suck at these types of things, but hopefully I don't screw it up too bad lol.
Doggo Gang: Luv u all
(but L2P daunt vs ojr Mom Lover Daruma
). You guys have made a lot of my days much better! s/o Eonito for losing to this team and helping me test kek
2018 Discord: Thanks for all the funny discussions. S/O curiosity for being Australian, 64 Squares for being the goat, and spatulakun for being a YGO main
Trainer Academy / TA: You guys are cool. It was fun interacting with yall, both past and present. special s/o to Lasen for making me GP his analyses
and maroon for being a dua lipa stan
GP Team: Thank you for helping me with all my questions: martha for GP tutoring me, Rabia CryoGyro Astra deetah Lumari P Squared and Finland for answering my dumb questions!!!
All my LC team tour mates: LPL scrubs for introducing me to team tours (s/o Midnight Howl and Sealette), Radio ef-ems, Dwebbles, Nineage tko ninjadog for drafting me in my first LCPL and teaching me how to L2P, and my current teammates on the Karrablasts (lets grab this trophy)
Special s/o to LilyAC and Fille for teaching me LC
My other team tour mates: I may not be as super close with you guys to mention all of you, but I wanted to let you all know that it was fun teaming with you all!
LC Discord: Not much to say but good vibes in the chat (free sports chat pls)
Other peeps that may not fall into any category: My mind is blanking on me at this point but I want to thank you all for making my time on this site enjoyable (STAN LOONA gum )
2018 Discord: Thanks for all the funny discussions. S/O curiosity for being Australian, 64 Squares for being the goat, and spatulakun for being a YGO main
Trainer Academy / TA: You guys are cool. It was fun interacting with yall, both past and present. special s/o to Lasen for making me GP his analyses
and maroon for being a dua lipa stanGP Team: Thank you for helping me with all my questions: martha for GP tutoring me, Rabia CryoGyro Astra deetah Lumari P Squared and Finland for answering my dumb questions!!!
All my LC team tour mates: LPL scrubs for introducing me to team tours (s/o Midnight Howl and Sealette), Radio ef-ems, Dwebbles, Nineage tko ninjadog for drafting me in my first LCPL and teaching me how to L2P, and my current teammates on the Karrablasts (lets grab this trophy)
Special s/o to LilyAC and Fille for teaching me LC
My other team tour mates: I may not be as super close with you guys to mention all of you, but I wanted to let you all know that it was fun teaming with you all!
LC Discord: Not much to say but good vibes in the chat (free sports chat pls)
Other peeps that may not fall into any category: My mind is blanking on me at this point but I want to thank you all for making my time on this site enjoyable (STAN LOONA gum )
Thank you for reading till the end! Feel free to leave any suggestions or comments!
