Let us reflect on the monster we have created: Sashed Tail Glow Syclant: The RMT

[eric the espeon]

This is the team I have used since the introduction of Syclant (with a few small changes such as F sash> Scarf on snow and Chomp>Nite) I want to try to improve it.

The Core

Abomasnow (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 SAtk
Quiet nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Blizzard
- Wood Hammer
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Focus Punch
IV's 0 Speed

My lead, sets up hail for Syclant’s blizzard and gets rid of sandstorm, HP fire is for the Syclant leads that many people try.
It will often surprise oponents with its dual 180 BP attacks, people seam to think it lacks and decent offence. Focus punch seriously dents any Blissey or Heatran switching in. Wood hammer despite its very unwelcome recoil is needed for rock, grass and water oponents, my other options would be the much weaker Seed Bomb or Grass Knot. The speed will underspeed ANY Tyranitar so I get the weather on my side.

Syclant (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mountaineer
EVs: 252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Bug Buzz
- Tail Glow
- Focus Blast
The core of my team it will destroy anyone without one of the rare counters to it. It can revenge kill around 50-70% of pokemon I face and set up a TG against most of them.
IMO the best set for Syclant almost guaranteed a TG and once it’s up not much can stop it. The only real counters I have found are Tenacruel and Timid ScarfTran (avoiding FB on the switch), Blissey is 2KO’d by Focus Blast after a TG (however it can T-Wave me and FB has only a 49% chance of hitting 2 times in a row) Blizzard will 2ko many of those who resist it, it 1KO's Gyrados, Togekiss, Zapdos and the like. Mountineer is needed as SR will ruin this set. If you play this thing right it will take out 2-3 Pokemon almost every game, as only a few pokemon can outspeed it and they will no like to stay/switch in on any of its attacks.

Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Hasty nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Explosion
My Syclant killer and revenger, it also takes the fire weak out of my team, after all I have 2 4x fire weeks so I need it, max speed + timid is needed for it to out speed ‘ant and various other threats.

Suicune @ Chillan Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Surf
The bulk in my team, it can switch in on a large number off attacks and stat up against most of them.
My pride and joy this Pokémon has swept for me so many times it’s not funny. Blizzard 1KO’s Chompy without the need for Sp. Attack evs, rest is so I can set up on toxic wielders and recover, surf is my main attack but the really cool bit is Chillan berry. Chillan berry halves the damage from one normal attack, not generally the only non-STAB normal attack that is used is explosion which would normally 1KO Cune with ease, however with a Chillan on your side you can take things like CBlax selfdestruct and CB Meta Boom and survive, many peoples first reaction when I get up 2-3 CM’s is to BOOM it but this thing can take any explosion bar stuff like +3 Curselax and Belly Drummed Lickylicky. The lack of leftovers is a bit annoying so I do switch between it and Chillan depending on how many exploders I see around.


The Fillers

Garchomp (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Claw
Kinda a filler, but it a fun one it can 2KO many of its normal counters (Hippo, Cune) and take on the sand inducers well. I am thinking of replaceing it with SD cario or Salamence. Chompy may even be moved to Ubers so i will need to change it then.

Dugtrio (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Aerial Ace
Traps and kills Blissey and many other pokemon my teeam dislikes, however in the hail if bliss S-Tosses (or Ice Beams) on the switch it will beat me so I am thinking of removing it. Also traps and kills T-Tar who runs my plans of a sweep with ‘ant due to sand removeing sash.

Possibe replacements:
Lucario (SD): a nice replacement to chompy, will handle Tar well.
Salamence (DD, CB or Specs): dunno, just thought it may fit well onto this team.
Gengar (LO Hypnosis set): BOOM on that blissey, and sleep support.
Walrien (StallRien): VERY VERY anoying, but also anoying for me.
Bronzong (Normal set): Sleep SR and BOOM.
Revenankh (Bulk Up or PP stall) : when it comes out it may find a place on my team, possibly over Suicune (the both fill the defencive stat upper role, or maybe I will try my toxi-spite set) or Garchomp (I dont like to be too standerd)

any other ideas?
I may add in a threat list sometime

 

[Blln]

like you mentioned in your possible replacements, Gengar might actually be a good idea over like Dugtrio or something, since you don't really have much that can afford to switch into Choice Banded fighting attacks except Suicune, who really needs to save its health for taking on stuff like Garchomp, so his immunities might help that out a bit, while still serving the same purpose of Blissey killing. The one reason that might not be the best idea is because it seems your team relies on duggy alot for taking out Ttar, but you can pretty much take him out with a combo of Garchomp, Heatran, Suicune, and wear him down over time with hail - or you can just leave Dugtrio and be fine, this just comes down to which threats do you want to cover best.

One other thing - what on earth is HP Bug for on Heatran. Fire Blast hits just about everything harder except like, Starmie/Slowbro. You should replace it with Dragon Pulse / HP Ice / HP Electric. Also, and this is more of a nitpick, there isn't really much benefit to running absolute max speed on Heatran considering you're still one point behind adamant scarfed Lucario / Roseraid etc, you could just cut down to 405 to beat Hera and stuff that just beats Hera, leaving you some extra EVs to throw into most likely attack (FYI you only need 232 to hit 405 with Timid + Scarf, netting you 24 extra EVs)

 

[eric the espeon]

like you mentioned in your possible replacements, Gengar might actually be a good idea over like Dugtrio or something, since you don't really have much that can afford to switch into Choice Banded fighting attacks except Suicune, who really needs to save its health for taking on stuff like Garchomp, so his immunities might help that out a bit, while still serving the same purpose of Blissey killing. The one reason that might not be the best idea is because it seems your team relies on duggy alot for taking out Ttar, but you can pretty much take him out with a combo of Garchomp, Heatran, Suicune, and wear him down over time with hail - or you can just leave Dugtrio and be fine, this just comes down to which threats do you want to cover best.
I think i will try out Gengar>Duggy, Tar is not that much of a problem and it fails to kill bliss anyway. I could do with some sleep support.
what do you think of my idea about replaceing Garchomp with Luke?

One other thing - what on earth is HP Bug for on Heatran. Fire Blast hits just about everything harder except like, Starmie/Slowbro. You should replace it with Dragon Pulse / HP Ice / HP Electric.
sorry it was an imported text from shoddy and the IV change thing must have messed it up, i have fixed it to ice.

Also, and this is more of a nitpick, there isn't really much benefit to running absolute max speed on Heatran considering you're still one point behind adamant scarfed Lucario / Roseraid etc, you could just cut down to 405 to beat Hera and stuff that just beats Hera, leaving you some extra EVs to throw into most likely attack (FYI you only need 232 to hit 405 with Timid + Scarf, netting you 24 extra EVs)
Other max+speed Scarftrans, they are quite common on the server (due to them being one of the best and most practical 'ant counters) so I like to tie speed with them, the extra 6 HP or attack points would be far less usefull.

 

[Tsukikage]

The only thing that bugs me about the lead is the 0 IVs. The only Ttar your not outspeeding by the recommended lead Abomasnow is my specialy designed one, and only I (unless newbs stole my set) use, which could be countered by simply using 29 speed IVs. I suggest going through your speed IVs to see if you can get a stronger HP Fire or something (that could be irrelevant because I have no idea how Hidden Power works off of IVs), or just so you can outspeed things besides that Ttar that you wouldn't with 0. I hope that made a little bit of sense.

Also, on Tran, if Garchomp and Salamence are the only things you're worried about, try Dragon Pulse over HP Ice. It's still a KO, but is you're going to get locked into it, I find that Dragon is a better type as well as having a higher BP, but I see no problem using HP Ice.

The other two core players, I'm know very little about, so they look good.

As for the other two, I agree that Gengar would probably work better than Duggy. Also consider the Lucario over Chompy. Not only is Garchomp way overused already, but Lucario handles Blissey who otherwise can come in on anything but Abomsnow unless you predict with an Explosion.

 

[darkie]

Wood Hammer with a Focus Sash is ehh... I'd use Grass Knot over that slot, since it'll kill Swampert/Rhyperior/anything you may need to hit with Grass Knot. If you're dead set on using Wood Hammer, though, change your item to something like Expert Belt, so that at least your item does something for you.

 

[eric the espeon]

The only thing that bugs me about the lead is the 0 IVs. The only Ttar your not outspeeding by the recommended lead Abomasnow is my specialy designed one, and only I (unless newbs stole my set) use, which could be countered by simply using 29 speed IVs. I suggest going through your speed IVs to see if you can get a stronger HP Fire or something (that could be irrelevant because I have no idea how Hidden Power works off of IVs), or just so you can outspeed things besides that Ttar that you wouldn't with 0. I hope that made a little bit of sense.

I could give it a bit more speed ivs, but its hard enough to find non-max IV Hidden powers, geting one with 29 iv may be harder.

Also, on Tran, if Garchomp and Salamence are the only things you're worried about, try Dragon Pulse over HP Ice. It's still a KO, but is you're going to get locked into it, I find that Dragon is a better type as well as having a higher BP, but I see no problem using HP Ice.

I thought dragon pulse did not 1KO without specs, thats why i use HP ice.

The other two core players, I'm know very little about, so they look good.

Right, not many people know how to use 'ant well, and 'cune is a dieing breed.

As for the other two, I agree that Gengar would probably work better than Duggy.

Right, i will change my team and test it out.

Also consider the Lucario over Chompy. Not only is Garchomp way overused already, but Lucario handles Blissey who otherwise can come in on anything but Abomsnow unless you predict with an Explosion.

Not quite right about the blissey can come in on everything bit, snow can F punch it, 'ant 2KO's with F blast after a Tail Glow, Heatran can explode (with prediction), Suicune can Cm up against it and stall it out, no bliss wants to switch into CBchomp and you cant switch into duggy anyway. But i will test out SD luke, chomp is not doing much for my team.

Wood Hammer with a Focus Sash is ehh... I'd use Grass Knot over that slot, since it'll kill Swampert/Rhyperior/anything you may need to hit with Grass Knot. If you're dead set on using Wood Hammer, though, change your item to something like Expert Belt, so that at least your item does something for you.

I have found that a Phy grass attack is just what i need very often, and the oponents i use it on would not activate F sash most of the time (waters), however I may try Seed Bomb. Sash is needed on this set so Expert belt is not a good idea.

 

[Tsukikage]

I think the only time that Dragon Pulse isn't an OHKO is on spreads with a little defense. I know all of the ones I've faced that only had 4 HP or 4 Def/SpD got OHKO'd with Dragon Pulse. My Heatran is Mild though, so that little bit might give it that little extra kick.

 

[eric the espeon]

yea i need to keep it timid, however i can find a good HP now that that strange leginds IV clause has been added. I am switching to dragon pulse but as soon as i find a good hidden power ice i will change back.