My MonoElectric Team

[GhostofChaos]

Hello guys. I am pretty new to competitive battling, just started 2 weeks ago. I've been doing some battles in PO and realized i was having the most fun with Monotype battles. So i decided to build an Electric (which is one of my favourite types) Monotype team. Please share your thoughts with me, so i can improve my team. Thanks in advance!

Electrode @ Damp Rock
Trait: Aftermath
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rain Dance
- Thunder
- Explosion
- Toxic

Electrode is my lead Pokémon. He is basically there to set up rain and hit hard if possible. Thanks to its awesome speed, it can pretty much outspeed almost every pokemon, except choice scarf users. Explosion is there to go boom when i know i won't survive another attack or won't be able to switch in again due to entry hazards. Toxic is a filler move, didn't know what to use instead of it but it has been working well for me, especially against Shedinja.

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 236 SDef / 24 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Roost
- Toxic
- Substitute


Zapdos is a must for every MonoElectric team in my opinion. It can play very different roles and i chose to use it as a staller. This is why it has Pressure over Volt Absorb. The main idea is poisoning the opposing pokemon, and SubRoosting. Thanks to its natural bulk, Zapdos can take a few hits and Roost off the damage. Thunder is its only attacking move with perfect accuracy, if my Electrode did its job well.

Rotom (Rotom-W) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 28 SAtk / 232 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp

Here is my Rotom Wash form. This is a specially defensive set. It can also cripple physical attackers with WoW and get the hell out of there with Volt Switch. Hydro Pump in rain has a 270 BP and is a great way to deal with Ground types. Pain Split gives it the needed recovery.

Manectric (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Lightningrod
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Overheat
- Thunder
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Volt Switch
Behold the mighty Manectric. If i can manage to get hit by an Electric attack with this guy, it may even win me the game. He has Choice Scarf, which allows him to outspeed everything except faster Choice Scarf users (and maybe Quick Feet Jolteon, but who even uses it?), so he is also a great revenge killer. With his base 105 Special Attack, it can hit hard with Thunder or switch out with Volt Switch if it faces a stiff competition. Overheat helps getting rid of Grass types and HP Rock is great for countering Fire types. (Volcarona!)

Electivire (M) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Motor Drive
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Wild Charge
- Ice Punch
- Brick Break

Electivire is my physical attacker. Earthquake for hitting Steel types hard and Ice Punch is for hitting Ground types hard. Wild Charge is its main STAB attack and Brick Break is there for countering Normal and Ice types. I use Brick Break over Cross Chop because i really hate it when Cross Chop misses. Considering Electivire's poor Defense stat, missing a Cross Chop could really hurt Electivire.

Magnezone @ Light Clay
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 160 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Reflect
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Light Screen

This guy is my dual screener. Given the opportunity, Magnezone steps in and sets up screens. Thanks to its Magnet Pull ability and HP Fire, it is a great counter against Scizor, Ferrothorn and Forretress. Volt Switch is great for leaving the arena and letting a harder hitter in.

 

[Don Honchkrorleone]

Hey GhostofChaos, sorry for not replying earlier as I was extremely busy with university stuff. Monoelectric teams are an interestng choice as a monotype because although they're rather popular, most of times people tend to play them on the wrong way. Your team is far from wrong, but there are some odd things on your team that could be easily fixed.

First, I have to point out your obvious Monoground weakness, and it's enormous. The only pokemon that can do significant damage to an opposing monoground are Rotom and sometimes Electivire. Gravity teams are a special annoyance since that 5 turns of Gravity can cost you the match. Any serious monoground carries at least one Gravity user from my experience, and Landorus (both), Golurk and Claydol are common faces in Ground teams tat use it. Not only but your teams seems kinda unable to touch Gastrodon and Seismitoad, who can threaten your team a lot. My first suggestion is taking out Electrode since it does absolutely nothing on your team. Worse, Rain Dance actually may hurt you if facing a Swift Swim user like Kingdra, Ludicolo or Seismitoad. Replace this oddball (bad pun indeed) and try a Life Orb Galvantula. Galvantula posseses a nice 97 Special Attack stat and a holy 108 Speed that, against a monoground, only Dugtrio (never used since Sand Stream is banned) and scarf users outspeed it. Galvantula has also a healthy movepool that allows your team to counter another common enemy of the monoelectrics: Monograss, since Bug Buzz will hurt even those who take neutral damage.

Dealing with one problem of your team we should try to fix the next one, the low attacking power of your team in an overall perspective. Your main attackers may hit hard, but hit hard isn't enough sometimes. You need some kind of tactic that will weaken the opponent when he enters on the field ;) You said that you use HP Rock solely for Fire-types esecially Volcarona, right? Well, I have the solution of your Volcrona problem in Stealth Rock. And there is one overlooked but very effective Electric-type SR user in Stunfisk. At the cost of Magnezone, which I really don't know what it's doing with Dual Screen since your team is neither Scizor weak nor has a set-up sweeper. Stunfisk can set up Stealth Rock, that will make up for the sometimes lacking power of your team. The poopfaced fish also has a multitude of support options including Yawn, Scald, Discharge and Toxic. Its unusual type is helpful in some situations.

With Stealth Rock on field, you can forego HP Rock for either HP Ice or Grass on Manectric. Stealth Rock will let you deal with Volcarona much easier, and HP Rock isn't a worth moveslot anyway. Also, if you ditch Electrode, then swap Thunder for Thunderbolt on everything that has it (or Discharge in Zapdos' case) because relying on a 70% accuracy move is awful unless you have Coumpoundeyes. Two other minor tweaks are on Electivire and Zapdos' movesets. Brick Break is redundant with Earthquake, and I suggest Fire Punch over the former. The posibility of beating Ferrothorn and Forretress in one shot are enough reason since they kind of annoy you. And although I like Stall Zapdos, Toxic is a bit iffy sice your Rotom already has WoW and you're using a move with high chance of Paralysis. You could try Heat Wave or HP Ice since mono-attacking in the monotype metagame is risky unless it's named Outrage, and so many things are immune to Electric in monotype that you need something to back up. Heat Wave beats Excadrill (If in PO's monotype) and Steelix, while HP Ice beats Dragons. The choice is up to you.

Summary of changes:

Galvantula > Electrode
Stunfisk > Magnezone

Galvantula @ Life Orb / | Coumpoundeyes
Timid | 252 SpA / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe
- Thunder
- Giga Drain / Energy Ball
- Hidden Power Ice / Volt Switch
- Bug Buzz / Volt Switch

Stunfisk @ Leftovers | Static
Bold | 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpDef (Only extremely powerful SE physical moves can KO Stunfisk)
- Stealth Rock
- Discharge / Earth Power
- Scald / Yawn / Toxic / Earth Power
- Pain Split

Manectric: Thunderbolt > Tunder | HP Ice or Grass > HP Rock
Electivire: Fire Punch > Brick Break
Zapdos: Discharge or Thunderbolt > Thunder | Heat Wave or HP Ice > Toxic

I hope it helped, and goodluck with this awesome monoelectric :D

 

[GhostofChaos]

Hey, Don Honchkrorleone. First of all thank you for this long reply! I'm just glad you had the time to go over my team, i know how frustrating university stuff can be.

Recently i also realized that my team lacked the attacking power, mostly i had to let my Rotom-W do all the attacking. The results weren't that bad but the team mostly relied on Zapdos' stalling. Electrode was definitely the weakest link in the chain, so i am glad that you suggested another poke over it.

Surprisingly, i never faced a Gravity team (though i used Gravity myself on Magnezone, solely for countering other MonoElectric teams thanks to Electivire's EQ and Motor Drive), but if i did face one it pretty much would rape all my pokes. Magnezone did come in handy at times, as the screens proved to be very useful for the team. It was also my only check against Dragon types.

I inserted your suggestions to the team, and wow! The results are amazing! Both pokemon have been doing wonders for me. I thought of using Galvantula at some point but i have to admit, it never crossed my mind to use Stunfisk. I didn't know Stunfisk was that bulky, it survived a +2 EQ from a Dragonite with 30% HP! Fire Punch on Electivire and Heat Wave on Zapdos are also working really well!

Right now the only problem seems to be that the team is extremely specially oriented. Namely Snorlax is one of the biggest threats to my team, as Electivire doesn't have the power to KO him as Snorlax sets up Curses. I guess every Monotype team has its downsides though.

So far i faced three Monotype teams (Steel, Grass and Flying) and won all three of the battles. I will further test the team and report back. Thank you very much again!

 

[Flaresun]

As Don Honchkrorleone has already suggsted great pokemon, the only change I would make is to replace Manectric with Choice Scarf Raikou. He can also absorb Electric-type attacks (if you are playing on PO) and he has higher base Special Attack and Speed, which can be crucial for turning 2HKOs into OHKOs.

Raikou @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Volt Absorb (Pressure if you are using Aura Sphere)
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature (Rash if you are using Aura Sphere)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice
- Volt Switch
- Aura Sphere / Extrasensory

 

[GhostofChaos]

Hi Flaresun. First of all thanks for replying! Raikou has overall better stats than Manectric so i gave it a shot. Unfortunately though, it didn't turn work out for my team. I guess Overheat makes the difference between the two, as it really helps me counter both Grass and Steel types.

 

[DragonBorn]

hmmmmmm........Specs Zapdos could heavily dent anything alot easier than you can toxic stall them i would suggest this or even Life Orb

Zapdos@Choice Specs/ Life orb
Trait: Lightning Rod
Nature:Timid
Ev: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Thunder / ThunderBolt / Charge Beam
-Heat Wave
-Signal Beam/Hp-Grass
-Volt Switch

This can handle almost most typing with its listed move. Specs hits harder but Life Orb allows you to switch moves with a little less power. Thunder Can be used but Thunderbolt is probably prefered as it works well outside of rain. Charge Beam allows it to become a boosting sweeper.Heat Wave hits the grass types that resist eletric as well as hitting types such as Ice and Steel harder.Signal Beam allows tearing mono Physcic and Dark teams apart but Hp-Grass destroys mono Ground and Rock teams. and Volt Switch allows you to keep offensive momentum