[LC] I don't have any particular name.

[apt-get]

Hi! After going in OU and wandering in UU, I finally started to build a REAL team, and it's gonna be in LC. It's not particularly good, and it needs some tweaking, but it works well.

A screen of my ladder ranking. It doesn't mean anything, but anyway:

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Anyway, let's get on the team, shall we?

Team Creation

This was the original team. While it seemed cool for me, it was actually pretty bad and got destroyed by many threats to the metagame.
But then I battled with Wobby and he gave me some nifty advices.

That's how the team went after this. It allowed me to beat a lot of threats to the metagame, like scraggy with mienfoo or murkrow with chinchou. But I didn't like Snover much, as it added another flying and fighting weakness to just counter sand teams and launch random blizzards...

Porygon took his place as a scarfer, with the added effect of effectively being a ponyta/houndour and drilbur counter. With trace, I can copy flash fire and hit them with tri attack to 2HKO or simply switch into drilbur to revenge kill with ice beam after the sand rush trace boost.
Yep, this is the actual team. Not a lot of changes, but it works!

Binko (Mienfoo) (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 36 SDef / 76 Spd / 156 Atk
Impish Nature
- Fake Out
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- U-turn

Mienfoo is the pivot of the team. I can easily switch him in to fake out and then u-turn out. He's also my check to Scraggy and most normal-types.

Fake out/U-Turn for momentum, Drain Punch for stab + heal, knock off to pick off opposing walls and nail misdreavus.

Kuzko (Chinchou) (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 132 Def / 228 SDef / 60 Spd
Calm Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SAtk
- Discharge
- Scald
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Chinchou does his job: tank any physical or special hit and then attempt to paralyze/burn. If you get too much damage, rest. He's the best murkrow switch-in in the game, and that isn't for nothing.
Discharge and Scald for burn and paralysis, resttalk for healing.

Lana (Ponyta) (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Flash Fire
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 196 Spd / 236 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Flame Charge
- Flare Blitz
- Return
- Wild Charge

Ponyta is my first sweeper: this is the classic set. Flame Charge to get a speed boost, in order to not get wrecked by base 20 speed/scarf threats, and flare blitz to wreck everything. Return and wild charge gives nice coverage, missing only on rock/ground types (and again why would I leave ponyta against these lol).

Sam (Porygon) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Trace
Level: 5
EVs: 184 SAtk / 200 Spd / 104 Atk
Naive Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Tri Attack
- Trick

Porygon is my scarf: it's also my sand check. It can easily cripple hippopotas with trick, getting an eviolite, ensuring he won't get OHKOed by drilbur's earthquake. Shadow Ball for hitting Missy, Ice Beam for murkrow and Ground-types, tri attack for stab and move to spam in general.

Miku (Misdreavus) (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SAtk / 240 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Missy is my second sweeper. Interestingly, I never see Sub variants, always using that slot for thunderbolt. Substitute allow missy to beat dark-types spamming suckerpunch and walls, attempting to toxic it in vain. It eases prediction and protects from status.
Nasty plot for boost, shadow ball for stab, HP fighting for unresisted coverage.

Johnny (Scraggy) (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 SDef / 236 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Ice Punch

Scraggy is my third sweeper, and it's easy to see why. dragon dance, high attack stat, solid bulk and Moxie/Shed skin. I'm not using shed skin, since I prefer the moxie boost that allow me to beat threats such as mienfoo after a few kills more than the potential burn/paralysis heal chance. It also allow me to sweep unprepared teams after a boost or two.
DD for boosting, drain punch for stab and heal, crunch is a reliable stab move with nearly unresisted coverage with drain punch, ice punch for murkrow.




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Even if I have porygon, these little guys still wreak havoc on my team if they survive an ice beam. However, they are often taken out easily. One strategy I have to beat drilbur is to Hit it with shadow ball if I'm behind a sub, thus he breaks the sub with shadow claw. then I switch into Porygon to take the hit, and finish it off with ice beam.

Even with chinchou, the king of LC still can break through me. roost variants can prankster-roost to stall chinchou, but I easily win the stallwar. It can spam HP grass to try to break me down, though it only inflicts ~36%, enough for me to 2HKO him with Discharge.

There's also the mienfoo/missy/murkrow core that give me some problems, but I can beat it most of the time.

Importable

Binko (Mienfoo) (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 36 SDef / 76 Spd / 156 Atk
Impish Nature
- Fake Out
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- U-turn

Kuzko (Chinchou) (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 132 Def / 228 SDef / 60 Spd
Calm Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SAtk
- Discharge
- Scald
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Lana (Ponyta) (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Flash Fire
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 196 Spd / 236 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Flame Charge
- Flare Blitz
- Return
- Wild Charge

Sam (Porygon) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Trace
Level: 5
EVs: 184 SAtk / 200 Spd / 104 Atk
Naive Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Tri Attack
- Trick

Miku (Misdreavus) (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SAtk / 240 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Johnny (Scraggy) (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 SDef / 236 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Ice Punch

Thanks for reading!

 

[Mewderator Y]

Is there a reason for Naive on Porygon?
I'd run Timid. And Attack EVs? Go with 76 HP / 236 SpA / 196 Spe.
Also, I recommend you change Scraggy's Moxie for Shed Skin. Once Scraggy gets hit by a Thunder Wave or is crippled by a Will-O-Wisp, Scraggy is probably going down unless you can get rid of it.

 

[Sunkern]

Fake out isn't a great mienfoo move. It's only purpose is to break sturdy/sashes. Most LC teams have a ghost specifically to counter fake out and high jump while getting a free switch. The only pokemon that I have ever run sash (abra) usually runs protect just to counter mienfoo countering its sash. I recommend running toxic to break bulky defensive walls or stone edge for the raw breaking power because let's face it, knock off isn't killing anything on its own and misdreavus laughs at your other attacks. Your team is also very weak to riolu. You may want to throw a priority attack (that isn't fake out) somewhere.
As a final not, you may want to run adamant ponyta if you are using flame charge.

 

[Good_Luck!]

I really don't understand why you run different IV's on Pory, maybe you used Hidden Power and forgot to change it afterwards.

I agree with MeW2011's changes Timid > Naive to keep Porygon's bulk intact. And remove the Atk EV's and put them on Def so it can survive the moles hits.

I'm not so sure about changing Moxie, status is not usually thrown at Scraggy until the opponent realizes you have Moxie, at that time its already too late 'cause you are at +2 Atk and +1 Spe; its just matter of preference.

Also, Fake Out is a good move on Mienfoo if you know how to use it. As you say, Mienfoo is used in your team as pivot, not as wallbreaker. So~ I don't agree with Sunkern's change, your Mienfoo isn't supposed to stay and attack.

On the other hand, Adamant > Jolly looks like a good change. I'd also recommend Flame Body > Flash Fire. You are not particularly weak to Fire, you have Porygon to trace Flash Fire from Houndour and two resists in Ponyta itself and Chinchou. You will be better with Flame Body as common priorities are Contact Based. That will also help against Croagunks trying to pick on Ponyta when it's weak with its two common priorities.

Speaking of Croagunk, you are very weak to Dry Skin Defensive Croagunk, the standard set. It takes nothing from Mienfoo, takes nothing from Chinchou other than the potential paralysis which doesn't cripple it as it's already slow, it beats Missy with Shadow Ball and resists both of her moves, and beats Scraggy without enough Moxie Boosts. And, of course, it can pick on Porygon with STAB Drain Punch and Vacuum Wave.

That's why I suggest Zen Headbutt > Ice Punch on Scraggy. You already have serious problems with Murkrow as it is.

For your problems with Murkrow, Flame Body Ponyta can switch on a Brave Body and potentially Burn it, disrupting its Sweep or you can use Porygon (with those EV's on Def) to pull off an Ice Beam.

So~ I hope those changes will help you.

 

[Furai]

Hi there! Solid team you have here pal. As you said, both Double Rush and Murkrow are huge threats; relying on solely Porygon to beat Double Rush is extremely unreliable, as without recovery it can be easily outworn, and Murkrow can hurt everything extremely hard with its wide coverage and STAB Brave Bird. Misdreavus is also a potential threat, for the exact same reasons Double Rush is: Porygon is simply not enough.

Firstly, to fix your Double Rush problem--and by extent, MixKrow--I greatly recommend using Choice Scarf Snover > Choice Scarf Porygon, like I can tell you started with judging by the EVs and IVs. Snover is an amazing counter to sand teams as it can change the weather from sandstorm and hail and packs not one, but two super-effective STAB moves in Blizzard and Giga Drain to use against them. You'll need to play carefully with it however, as Stealth Rock damage can cost you the game. But thanks to your team's high offensive nature, I think you should do fine.

Snover

Snover (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Warning
Level: 5
EVs: 104 Atk / 184 SAtk / 200 Spd
Naive Nature
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Ice Shard
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain

Next, I don't see what is Ponyta doing for you. It simply seems like dead-weight to me, that is simply taking up a slot on your team. It has no recovery, nor any utility; you're just using it to cause some damage and faint. I think you should run Eviolite Porygon instead, which can fix both of your weaknesses to Murkrow (in conjuction with Chinchou) and Misdreavus. With Thunder Wave, you can cripple both, which makes it a whole lot easier to take them down. Recover is a great recovery move, whereas Tri Attack is an awesome STAB which can also inflict status. Shadow Ball rounds off the set with solid coverage which also allows you to beat Misdreavus.

Porygon

Porygon @ Eviolite
Trait: Trace
Level: 5
EVs: 236 HP / 196 Def / 76 SDef
Bold Nature
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
- Tri Attack
- Shadow Ball

With Snover on your team, I think that using Substitute on Misdreavus would be an overkill, thus I suggest Will-O-Wisp > Substitute. Will-O-Wisp allows you to cripple foes such as Croagunk, Mienfoo, and even Murkrow that try to kill you with Sucker Punch. Definitely use Shed Skin instead of Moxie on Scraggy; Scraggy only needs 2 boosts to sweep teams, which can be easily accomplished with Dragon Dance. The status "immunity" Shed Skin grants is by far more helpful than Moxie.

This change is honestly optional, is even without it your team would work; I think you should try Heal Bell > Scald / Discharge on Chinchou. Doing so will allow you to cure Mienfoo from opposing Misdreavus Will-O-Wisps, free Misdreavus from Lileep's Toxic, and heal Snover from its paralysis done by opposing Porygon.

TL;DR

• Choice Scarf Snover > Choice Scarf Porygon
• Eviolite Porygon > Ponyta
• Will-O-Wisp > Substitute on Misdreavus
• Shed Skin > Moxie on Scraggy
• OPTIONAL: Heal Bell > Discharge or Scald on Chinchou

Best of luck!

 

[Superpowerdude]

Hey man nice looking Little Cup team.

Well first of i agree with Furias changes in helping you deal with some of your main threats Murkrow and Double Rush / Sand. In particular the Snover>Porygon and the Heal Bell suggestion on Chichou as these changes help your team more against Double Rush and especially Murkrow. However i did notice you have already tried Snover and it seemed to have not worked for you so i have another suggestion you can try.

Although your team does lack a Rapid Spinner to help you against Murkrow and Staryu without resorting to using Snover you can always go with Shell Smash Tirtouga>Chinchou with acces to priority Aqua Jet after a Shell Smash Tirtouga is capable of beating Sandshrew and Drilbur easily. Aqua Jet also bypasses Murkrows Sucker Punch after a Shell Smash which is also very nice. Tirtouga really adds to the offensive nature of your team letting you overload your opponents defenses with him, Missdreavus and Scraggy all setting up and weaknening the opponent. Tirtouga also forms a great offensive core with Nasty Plot Misdreavus forming the "MisTouga" core as i like to refer to it. Tirtouga lures in pokemon like Lileep, Porygon, Croagunk and Ferroseed for Misdreavus to either get a Nasty Plot on them and beat them or significantly weaken them to the point where Tirtouga (or even Scraggy) can sweep. While you do lose out on some utility without Chinchou Tirtouga more then makes up for it in offensive presence. They also have similar typing and they can both beat Murkrow so the loss of Chinchou shouldn't be that problemental. You may think Waterfall would be a better move then Aqua Tail due to the more reliable accuracy despite the slightly less power. However with a Spash Plate attatched Aqua Tail does a huge amount of damage and gets some notable kos that Waterfall would not. Although Sturdy is generally the prefered nature with no rapid spinner you would probally want to go with Solid Rock instead to soften up super effective hits.

Good luck with the team i hope i helped!

Sets

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Tirtouga @ Splash Plate | Solid Rock
Adamant | 84 Hp / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 180 Spe
Shell Smash | Aqua Jet | Aqua Tail | Stone Edge

Tl;dr

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Tirtouga--->Chinchou or Snover--->Porygon

~Superpowerdude