Hello, Smogon! It's been waaaaaaay too long since I last posted a team, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But anyway, I got tired of making offense teams and decided to go for a more defensive one.
I was looking at Branflakes325 's RMT Wonder Trio, and it really inspired me, so I decided to start with the combination of Dugtrio and Shedinja. Additionally, I was browsing through some of the old XY stuff and saw some spreads for using Mega Ampharos in OU, which I thought was pretty cool (Ampharos is one of my favorite Megas); I also wanted to end the monotony of Mega Sableye stall. So I decided to add it to the team.
At this point, the team needed something that could reliably stop Stealth Rock from being set up. Since the mega slot was taken, I decided to opt for a physically defensive Espeon to assist the team. Chansey and Skarmory, found on most stall teams, finished it off.
After reading all of this, did you think the title was misleading? Because it isn't! This team peaked at 1650 but I'm sure it can go higher than that. I'm just not quite sure if the team could use some retouching or if I'm just bad at playing stall, and that's what you guys are here for! Let's get to the team.
Shedinja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 156 Spe
IVs: 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD
Lonely Nature (+Atk, -Def)
-Shadow Sneak
-Will-O-Wisp
-Protect
-Baton Pass
This set is more or less stolen from the original Shedinja Stall. Shadow Sneak is used to pick off weakened targets if nothing else on the team can accomplish it. Will-O-Wisp is the move that you should be using if you have the option: it makes physical attackers so much easier to deal with, and in many games it's worth sacrificing the Sash to do so. Protect is used for scouting (HP Fire Latios, etc) but sometimes I like to use it to play mind games with the opponent. Finally, Baton Pass is used for the infamous BP to Dugtrio->Switch to Shedinja->BP to Dugtrio chain that basically guarantees momentum.
Dugtrio @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 21 HP
Jolly Nature
-Earthquake
-Stealth Rock
-Substitute
-Reversal
Besides the aforementioned chain, Dugtrio can put in a lot of work in tons of games by trapping problematic Pokémon like Stallbreaker Heatran and SD Excadrill (outside of sand, of course) and knocking them out with a single Earthquake, although bulky Pokémon like Tyranitar might use up your Sash in the process. I chose Substitute to block incoming Will-O-Wisps, and Reversal is powerful enough to deal massive damage to, if not KO, Chansey. The IVs are chosen to survive 2 Seismic Tosses from Chansey with 1 HP remaining, giving Reversal a BP of 150. More on Stealth Rock later.
Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static-->Mold Breaker
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
-Volt Switch
-Hidden Power [Ice]
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
What does Mega Ampharos have to offer for stall? First and foremost, it's an amazing pivot with its ability to wall so many mons, like Rotom-W, Tornadus-T, and most Heatran. In addition, it does pretty well offensively with its ability to OHKO threatening Pokémon like Azumarill and Crawdaunt while walling the latter. Static is also a nice Ability to have before going Mega because it lets you laugh at the Mega Pokémon that like to use Fake Out (Medicham, Lopunny, Sableye) and then force them out with Volt Switch. I chose Hidden Power Ice over Dragon Pulse because Landorus-T is so common right now and I'd like to take it down a notch. Who cares about hitting Tangrowth for more? Give me my OHKO on Landorus-T!
Espeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature (-Atk, +Def)
EVs: 0 Atk
-Dazzling Gleam
-Psyshock
-Charm
-Morning Sun
Espeon is the only Non-Mega Magic Bounce user besides Xatu, which loses to Stone Miss even after its item gets knocked off so that's no fun. 44 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed both Tank Chomp and defensive Landorus-T, being able to Charm them before they can move. Dazzling Gleam is what I chose in the third slot to beat Mega Sableye 1 on 1, and Psyshock is what I used to just deal damage. Hidden Power Fighting was what originally replaced Psyshock: it guarantees the OHKO on Bisharp, which can otherwise Pursuit trap Espeon because it bypasses Charm with Defiant; it also does well against Steel-types.
Some of you might think "lol it's an Espeon you can't wall things with it" but this thing can take hits pretty well. Definitely not as well as Mega Sableye, and its typing isn't doing it any favors either, but well.
252+ Atk Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Espeon: 277-327 (82.9 - 97.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
-Defog
-Roost
-Drill Peck
-Whirlwind
Let me explain: Mega Heracross has been getting pretty hyped recently in places like the VR thread. People are saying that it can destroy stall teams with its SD set. Naturally, I didn't want it to destroy my stall team, so I used the countermeasure of Drill Peck and left the job of Stealth Rock to Dugtrio.At this rate I should be running Aerial Ace on Dugtrio Before, I was using a Shed Shell because of Magnezone, but I decided that not only was it too matchup specific, my team did pretty well against Magnezone anyway thanks to Dugtrio and the chip damage has proven to be very helpful. Whirlwind is for the Azumarills that think they can just use Belly Drum, the Scizors desperate to get a Swords Dance off. Running Defog and Stealth Rock on the same Pokémon also felt redundant to me, so the job of rocks was passed down to Dugtrio.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Bold Nature (-Atk, +Def)
-Seismic Toss
-Thunder Wave
-Aromatherapy
-Soft-Boiled
The original pink blob. Most special Pokémon are stopped by this thing, meaning that if they don't have recovery, you can spam Seismic Toss and stuff. If they do, keep an eye on the clock, because you'll be there a while. Once I ran out of Seismic Toss PP (replays below) and was hesitant to switch Chansey in after that because it could do literally nothing. It just goes to show just how passive this thing is. It walls tons of stuff, though, so it earned a spot on my team for that.
REPLAYS
This replay shows just how bad I was at stall when I first made this team. Hopefully I've gotten better since then.
Unlike other stall teams, this one isn't weak to Stallbreaker Heatran...much
I forgot what this one is about but I saved it
vs. offense
DO NOT WATCH THIS REPLAY
Threatlist
Rotom-W: The annoying thing about Rotom-W is that it likes to use Pain Split. This means that the Pokémon that deals the finishing blow (usually Chansey or Mega Ampharos) will be weakened and very vulnerable.
Scarf Toxic Keldeo: don't ask
Stallbreaker Talonflame: Moltres called, it says it's the better bird
Mega Sableye: In the last replay above, I was lucky that my opponent sacrificed Sableye so early. The only thing I can do is Dazzling Gleam and Volt Switch, meaning that the CM sets are bad news (although uncommon these days).
With such a small threatlist, my team is OK
but my memory suppression is even better
Anyway, please rate or give me tips on how to make/use stall in general, because I'm pretty new to it. People are saying that stall is bad right now but I'm confident that it's because people are using very similar stall teams on the ladder (Sableye/Quagsire/Amoonguss/Chansey/Skarmory/maybe Weavile) and the meta is simply prepared for them.
Thanks for reading!
I was looking at Branflakes325 's RMT Wonder Trio, and it really inspired me, so I decided to start with the combination of Dugtrio and Shedinja. Additionally, I was browsing through some of the old XY stuff and saw some spreads for using Mega Ampharos in OU, which I thought was pretty cool (Ampharos is one of my favorite Megas); I also wanted to end the monotony of Mega Sableye stall. So I decided to add it to the team.
At this point, the team needed something that could reliably stop Stealth Rock from being set up. Since the mega slot was taken, I decided to opt for a physically defensive Espeon to assist the team. Chansey and Skarmory, found on most stall teams, finished it off.
After reading all of this, did you think the title was misleading? Because it isn't! This team peaked at 1650 but I'm sure it can go higher than that. I'm just not quite sure if the team could use some retouching or if I'm just bad at playing stall, and that's what you guys are here for! Let's get to the team.
Shedinja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 156 Spe
IVs: 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD
Lonely Nature (+Atk, -Def)
-Shadow Sneak
-Will-O-Wisp
-Protect
-Baton Pass
This set is more or less stolen from the original Shedinja Stall. Shadow Sneak is used to pick off weakened targets if nothing else on the team can accomplish it. Will-O-Wisp is the move that you should be using if you have the option: it makes physical attackers so much easier to deal with, and in many games it's worth sacrificing the Sash to do so. Protect is used for scouting (HP Fire Latios, etc) but sometimes I like to use it to play mind games with the opponent. Finally, Baton Pass is used for the infamous BP to Dugtrio->Switch to Shedinja->BP to Dugtrio chain that basically guarantees momentum.
Dugtrio @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 21 HP
Jolly Nature
-Earthquake
-Stealth Rock
-Substitute
-Reversal
Besides the aforementioned chain, Dugtrio can put in a lot of work in tons of games by trapping problematic Pokémon like Stallbreaker Heatran and SD Excadrill (outside of sand, of course) and knocking them out with a single Earthquake, although bulky Pokémon like Tyranitar might use up your Sash in the process. I chose Substitute to block incoming Will-O-Wisps, and Reversal is powerful enough to deal massive damage to, if not KO, Chansey. The IVs are chosen to survive 2 Seismic Tosses from Chansey with 1 HP remaining, giving Reversal a BP of 150. More on Stealth Rock later.
Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static-->Mold Breaker
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
-Volt Switch
-Hidden Power [Ice]
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
What does Mega Ampharos have to offer for stall? First and foremost, it's an amazing pivot with its ability to wall so many mons, like Rotom-W, Tornadus-T, and most Heatran. In addition, it does pretty well offensively with its ability to OHKO threatening Pokémon like Azumarill and Crawdaunt while walling the latter. Static is also a nice Ability to have before going Mega because it lets you laugh at the Mega Pokémon that like to use Fake Out (Medicham, Lopunny, Sableye) and then force them out with Volt Switch. I chose Hidden Power Ice over Dragon Pulse because Landorus-T is so common right now and I'd like to take it down a notch. Who cares about hitting Tangrowth for more? Give me my OHKO on Landorus-T!
Espeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature (-Atk, +Def)
EVs: 0 Atk
-Dazzling Gleam
-Psyshock
-Charm
-Morning Sun
Espeon is the only Non-Mega Magic Bounce user besides Xatu, which loses to Stone Miss even after its item gets knocked off so that's no fun. 44 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed both Tank Chomp and defensive Landorus-T, being able to Charm them before they can move. Dazzling Gleam is what I chose in the third slot to beat Mega Sableye 1 on 1, and Psyshock is what I used to just deal damage. Hidden Power Fighting was what originally replaced Psyshock: it guarantees the OHKO on Bisharp, which can otherwise Pursuit trap Espeon because it bypasses Charm with Defiant; it also does well against Steel-types.
Some of you might think "lol it's an Espeon you can't wall things with it" but this thing can take hits pretty well. Definitely not as well as Mega Sableye, and its typing isn't doing it any favors either, but well.
252+ Atk Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Espeon: 277-327 (82.9 - 97.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
-Defog
-Roost
-Drill Peck
-Whirlwind
Let me explain: Mega Heracross has been getting pretty hyped recently in places like the VR thread. People are saying that it can destroy stall teams with its SD set. Naturally, I didn't want it to destroy my stall team, so I used the countermeasure of Drill Peck and left the job of Stealth Rock to Dugtrio.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Bold Nature (-Atk, +Def)
-Seismic Toss
-Thunder Wave
-Aromatherapy
-Soft-Boiled
The original pink blob. Most special Pokémon are stopped by this thing, meaning that if they don't have recovery, you can spam Seismic Toss and stuff. If they do, keep an eye on the clock, because you'll be there a while. Once I ran out of Seismic Toss PP (replays below) and was hesitant to switch Chansey in after that because it could do literally nothing. It just goes to show just how passive this thing is. It walls tons of stuff, though, so it earned a spot on my team for that.
REPLAYS
This replay shows just how bad I was at stall when I first made this team. Hopefully I've gotten better since then.
Unlike other stall teams, this one isn't weak to Stallbreaker Heatran...much
I forgot what this one is about but I saved it
vs. offense
DO NOT WATCH THIS REPLAY
Threatlist
Rotom-W: The annoying thing about Rotom-W is that it likes to use Pain Split. This means that the Pokémon that deals the finishing blow (usually Chansey or Mega Ampharos) will be weakened and very vulnerable.
Scarf Toxic Keldeo: don't ask
Stallbreaker Talonflame: Moltres called, it says it's the better bird
Mega Sableye: In the last replay above, I was lucky that my opponent sacrificed Sableye so early. The only thing I can do is Dazzling Gleam and Volt Switch, meaning that the CM sets are bad news (although uncommon these days).
With such a small threatlist, my team is OK
but my memory suppression is even better
Anyway, please rate or give me tips on how to make/use stall in general, because I'm pretty new to it. People are saying that stall is bad right now but I'm confident that it's because people are using very similar stall teams on the ladder (Sableye/Quagsire/Amoonguss/Chansey/Skarmory/maybe Weavile) and the meta is simply prepared for them.
Thanks for reading!
