After spending the last three months being a hardcore event collector, I've decided it is time to move back to the competitive metagame. So this is first team I've thought up since my return; I've tested it several times and it performs fairly well, so I've decided to take it here and hopefully get some advice about how to change it. Please note that I battle on Wi-Fi and not ShoddyBattle, so my options, along with those of my opponents, are limited.
I love Anti-Lead Weavile because of its ability to shut down a lot of common leads, whether they be suicude leads, baton passers, or bulkier defensive leads. Why two attacks instead of Counter, you ask? Well, because this Weavile is designed to have some sweeping capability as well, and it’s not just there to take a hit from Forretress or Bronzong, and be rendered useless for the rest of the game. Besides, I can silence them with Taunt, and then switch out to a suitable counter to scare them away. Fake Out is for removing Sashes from suicude leads like Azelf, Aerodactyl, and Roserade, and Ice Punch and Night Slash will definitely suffice to finish them off. Aero is faster, so it can either set up Rocks and die leaving Weavile with the Sash, or break the Sash and not get Stealth Rock set up. Although this team does not have any pokémon that are weak to Stealth Rock, it is still better to stop to opponent from setting it up as I lack a spinner. Against Frosslass and Gengar, I will often Taunt so I don’t get hit by a Hypnosis coming from Gengar or Spikes from Froslass. This also ensures that I do not get Destiny Bonded (this won’t happen anyways because I am faster than both of them). Weavile does have a problem with Lead Crobat with Hypnosis, as it is outsped and therefore cannot Taunt it. Weavile also completely shuts down Smeargle with either a Fake Out + Ice Punch combo or Taunt. The former is probably the better option as it ensures that I do not get hit by Struggle, and my Sash still stays intact. Weavile can also silence Ninjask, to an extent, depending on what variant it is. If it carries Protect, then it will often do this the first round. I take advantage of this and Taunt it while it is Protecting. If Ninjask carries Protect, then it will under most circumstances not carry an offensive move, so it’s now pretty much useless and I can easily set up on it. If Ninjask does not carry Protect, then Fake Out has its uses. Some lead Ninjask are Sashed, so Fake Out breaks it. Then, while the opponent Substitutes on the next turn, they get a Taunt in the face. Voila, Ninjask is pretty much useless. I can switch out and eliminate it. Against bulkier leads such as Swampert, Bronzong, and Forretress, Taunt is probably the best option off the bat (though a Fake Out first can never hurt for the free damage). I can’t really do anything to them after they start attacking me, so I’d best switch out to a counter to take them down. Swampert is a bit of a problem since I don’t carry anything with Grass-type moves that is a safe switch in, but Latias handles it to an extent. Weavile can also come back late-game (preferably with its Sash unbroken) to take down Salamences and other Dragons with a Fake Out + Ice Punch combo, as well as sweeping Psychics and Ghosts with Night Slash.
What can I say? Lucario is simply a beast with Swords Dance and Life Orb. Jolly does make me miss important KOs, but what the heck, I hate being outsped in a metagame where speed is the most important factor in the success of a sweeper. This is partially because the majority of Swords Dance Lucario run Adamant, and I don’t really have a true SD Lucario counter, so my best option is to hope to outspeed it with my own Lucario, which always works unless they’re Sashed (which I’ll definitely watch out for). I don’t feel too threatened by Salamence and co., and Gliscor because I do have a Weavile and a Gengar that is capable of disposing of them, but I hate being walled by Ghosts, so that’s why I chose Crunch as an option over Ice Punch. The rest is pretty much self-explantory. I use Gengar or Latias (preferably the former) as Pursuit bait for Tyranitar, then switch into Lucario to set up a free Swords Dance. With Luke’s high degree of unpredictability, it’ll likely scare something away that is not named Tyranitar anyways and get up a Swords Dance and proceed to sweep.
Honestly, though, Kingdra is awesome. It 4x resists both Water and Fire-type attacks (which are both very common), and does not possess a quadruple weakness to Ice or a weakness to Stealth Rock like its counterparts Dragonite and Salamence (and Flygon for the first one). It’s undoubtely bulky enough to get a Dragon Dance without taking too much damage, and proceed to sweep with an unresisted combination (correct me if I’m wrong) in Waterfall and Outrage. Subsitute is for switching into Choiced Water and Fire attacks, and setting up while the opponent flees. The EV spread used is to ensure that I outspeed any other Kingdras on the field, or at least get a speed tie with those that run the same spread. Swift Swim can be an option over Sniper as an ability to take advantage of Rain Dance teams, but I haven’t really felt too threatened by them yet. Lum Berry over Leftovers and Life Orb because of the ability to absorb status, and if it is not used, then it serves to calm me down from my Outrage after Kingdra’s finished its massacre.
Although its weaknesses to both Fighting and Ground-type attacks make it difficult to switch in, Heatran does have a plethora of resistances, including numerous 4x resistances. Like its name suggests, this Heatran is capable of handling the almost obsolete SkarmBliss combination. It is also capable of making large dents in opposing teams after it receives a Flash Fire boost, which will come quite often, considering I have 2 fire-weak Pokémon and am quite susceptible to Will-o-Wisp. Fire Blast over Flamethrower simply because of the power factor, and 85% accuracy isn’t too bad at all. If Heracross’s Megahorn is reliable, then Fire Blast should be as well. The rest of the moveset is pretty standard for your average Choice Scarfed Heatran, except this one has Life Orb, which can come as a surprise to unprepared opponents. Hidden Power (Grass) is for eliminating Swampert, something that the rest of my team has a hard time doing. Heatran also serves as my Scizor check, as it resists both of Scizor’s STABs, and can easily outspeed it. Explosion is for taking out pink blobs of fat such as Blissey, but it will also be used if I’m running low on HP, or in times of desperation.
Gengar is an awesome Revenge Killer and overall DD-Dragon-type and Gyarados counter. Neither Salamence and its Dragon-type counterparts, nor Gyarados are capable of outspeeding this Gengar after a single Dragon Dance, and are in turn (under most circumstances) OHKO’d by Hidden Power Ice or Thunderbolt, respectively. Gengar can also serve to take out fast Psychics like Alakazam and Starmie that would expect to outspeed it. Even if Starmie is Scarfed itself, it cannot OHKO Gengar, as most Starmie do not pack Psychic as it has horrible coverage. Focus Blast is for Weavile and Tyranitar, but with 70% accuracy it is everything BUT reliable. Plus, Gengar is easily trapped and Pursuited by these two, but this does allow me to set something up with Lucario (providing Weavile is Choice Banded). Psychic is another option as it hits Infernape for a OHKO, something that causes the rest of my team (other than Latias) major nightmares.
Haha, Cresselia used to fill this spot, until I released how little offensive potential it had. Latias sports nice resistances to Fire, Electric, and Water (something that Cress can’t boast about), which increases its ability to effective wall special attacks with its massive base 130 defense. But like all the other members of my team, this Latias is centered on offense and not defense. It has a helpful immunity to Ground type attacks, and also resists Fighting, which makes it the ideal partner with Heatran, as it almost always has the opportunity to set up a Calm Mind while the opponent flees. After a single Calm Mind, Latias becomes a beast. It laughs at special attacks, including super-effective ones, namely Shadow Balls from Gengar and Mismagius. Sure, it doesn’t pack anything that can OHKO these two, but they can’t do anything back to it at all. Again, the Water-Dragon combination is pretty standard on Latias, but I added in Thunderbolt so that I don’t get walled completely by Empoleon, and have a chance to take out Gyarados, who would seriously threaten my team if Gengar is sleeping with the fishes. Leftovers > Life Orb because I want this Latias to last =_=…preferably a long time.
Possible Problems:
My Team at a Glance:
Detailed Description and Analysis
The (Almost) Universal Anti-Lead
Weavile @ Focus Sash
Jolly / Pressure
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
~ Fake Out
~ Taunt
~ Ice Punch
~ Night Slash
The (Almost) Universal Anti-Lead
Weavile @ Focus Sash
Jolly / Pressure
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
~ Fake Out
~ Taunt
~ Ice Punch
~ Night Slash
I love Anti-Lead Weavile because of its ability to shut down a lot of common leads, whether they be suicude leads, baton passers, or bulkier defensive leads. Why two attacks instead of Counter, you ask? Well, because this Weavile is designed to have some sweeping capability as well, and it’s not just there to take a hit from Forretress or Bronzong, and be rendered useless for the rest of the game. Besides, I can silence them with Taunt, and then switch out to a suitable counter to scare them away. Fake Out is for removing Sashes from suicude leads like Azelf, Aerodactyl, and Roserade, and Ice Punch and Night Slash will definitely suffice to finish them off. Aero is faster, so it can either set up Rocks and die leaving Weavile with the Sash, or break the Sash and not get Stealth Rock set up. Although this team does not have any pokémon that are weak to Stealth Rock, it is still better to stop to opponent from setting it up as I lack a spinner. Against Frosslass and Gengar, I will often Taunt so I don’t get hit by a Hypnosis coming from Gengar or Spikes from Froslass. This also ensures that I do not get Destiny Bonded (this won’t happen anyways because I am faster than both of them). Weavile does have a problem with Lead Crobat with Hypnosis, as it is outsped and therefore cannot Taunt it. Weavile also completely shuts down Smeargle with either a Fake Out + Ice Punch combo or Taunt. The former is probably the better option as it ensures that I do not get hit by Struggle, and my Sash still stays intact. Weavile can also silence Ninjask, to an extent, depending on what variant it is. If it carries Protect, then it will often do this the first round. I take advantage of this and Taunt it while it is Protecting. If Ninjask carries Protect, then it will under most circumstances not carry an offensive move, so it’s now pretty much useless and I can easily set up on it. If Ninjask does not carry Protect, then Fake Out has its uses. Some lead Ninjask are Sashed, so Fake Out breaks it. Then, while the opponent Substitutes on the next turn, they get a Taunt in the face. Voila, Ninjask is pretty much useless. I can switch out and eliminate it. Against bulkier leads such as Swampert, Bronzong, and Forretress, Taunt is probably the best option off the bat (though a Fake Out first can never hurt for the free damage). I can’t really do anything to them after they start attacking me, so I’d best switch out to a counter to take them down. Swampert is a bit of a problem since I don’t carry anything with Grass-type moves that is a safe switch in, but Latias handles it to an extent. Weavile can also come back late-game (preferably with its Sash unbroken) to take down Salamences and other Dragons with a Fake Out + Ice Punch combo, as well as sweeping Psychics and Ghosts with Night Slash.
Team Synergy
Fighting – Gengar, Latias
Fire – Heatran, Kingdra
Rock – Lucario
Steel – Heatran, Kingdra
Bug – Heatran, Gengar, Lucario
Fighting – Gengar, Latias
Fire – Heatran, Kingdra
Rock – Lucario
Steel – Heatran, Kingdra
Bug – Heatran, Gengar, Lucario
The Much Too Overused Beast of a Physical Sweeper
Lucario @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Jolly / Inner Focus
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
~ Swords Dance
~ Extremespeed
~ Close Combat
~ Crunch
Lucario @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Jolly / Inner Focus
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
~ Swords Dance
~ Extremespeed
~ Close Combat
~ Crunch
What can I say? Lucario is simply a beast with Swords Dance and Life Orb. Jolly does make me miss important KOs, but what the heck, I hate being outsped in a metagame where speed is the most important factor in the success of a sweeper. This is partially because the majority of Swords Dance Lucario run Adamant, and I don’t really have a true SD Lucario counter, so my best option is to hope to outspeed it with my own Lucario, which always works unless they’re Sashed (which I’ll definitely watch out for). I don’t feel too threatened by Salamence and co., and Gliscor because I do have a Weavile and a Gengar that is capable of disposing of them, but I hate being walled by Ghosts, so that’s why I chose Crunch as an option over Ice Punch. The rest is pretty much self-explantory. I use Gengar or Latias (preferably the former) as Pursuit bait for Tyranitar, then switch into Lucario to set up a free Swords Dance. With Luke’s high degree of unpredictability, it’ll likely scare something away that is not named Tyranitar anyways and get up a Swords Dance and proceed to sweep.
Team Synergy
Fighting – Gengar, Latias
Fire – Heatran, Kingdra
Ground – Latias, Gengar
Fighting – Gengar, Latias
Fire – Heatran, Kingdra
Ground – Latias, Gengar
The “why use Salamence when you can use me”?
Kingdra @ Lum Berry
Adamant / Sniper
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
~ Dragon Dance
~ Waterfall
~ Outrage
~ Substitute
Kingdra @ Lum Berry
Adamant / Sniper
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
~ Dragon Dance
~ Waterfall
~ Outrage
~ Substitute
Honestly, though, Kingdra is awesome. It 4x resists both Water and Fire-type attacks (which are both very common), and does not possess a quadruple weakness to Ice or a weakness to Stealth Rock like its counterparts Dragonite and Salamence (and Flygon for the first one). It’s undoubtely bulky enough to get a Dragon Dance without taking too much damage, and proceed to sweep with an unresisted combination (correct me if I’m wrong) in Waterfall and Outrage. Subsitute is for switching into Choiced Water and Fire attacks, and setting up while the opponent flees. The EV spread used is to ensure that I outspeed any other Kingdras on the field, or at least get a speed tie with those that run the same spread. Swift Swim can be an option over Sniper as an ability to take advantage of Rain Dance teams, but I haven’t really felt too threatened by them yet. Lum Berry over Leftovers and Life Orb because of the ability to absorb status, and if it is not used, then it serves to calm me down from my Outrage after Kingdra’s finished its massacre.
Team Synergy
Dragon – Heatran, Lucario, (or Gengar if they’re going to DD up first)
Dragon – Heatran, Lucario, (or Gengar if they’re going to DD up first)
The Skarm-Bliss Check (who even uses it nowadays anyways?)
Heatran @ Life Orb
Naïve / Flash Fire
4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
~ Fire Blast
~ Earth Power
~ Hidden Power (Grass)
~ Explosion
Heatran @ Life Orb
Naïve / Flash Fire
4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
~ Fire Blast
~ Earth Power
~ Hidden Power (Grass)
~ Explosion
Although its weaknesses to both Fighting and Ground-type attacks make it difficult to switch in, Heatran does have a plethora of resistances, including numerous 4x resistances. Like its name suggests, this Heatran is capable of handling the almost obsolete SkarmBliss combination. It is also capable of making large dents in opposing teams after it receives a Flash Fire boost, which will come quite often, considering I have 2 fire-weak Pokémon and am quite susceptible to Will-o-Wisp. Fire Blast over Flamethrower simply because of the power factor, and 85% accuracy isn’t too bad at all. If Heracross’s Megahorn is reliable, then Fire Blast should be as well. The rest of the moveset is pretty standard for your average Choice Scarfed Heatran, except this one has Life Orb, which can come as a surprise to unprepared opponents. Hidden Power (Grass) is for eliminating Swampert, something that the rest of my team has a hard time doing. Heatran also serves as my Scizor check, as it resists both of Scizor’s STABs, and can easily outspeed it. Explosion is for taking out pink blobs of fat such as Blissey, but it will also be used if I’m running low on HP, or in times of desperation.
Team Synergy
Ground – Latias, Gengar
Water – Kingdra, Latias
Fighting – Gengar, Latias
Ground – Latias, Gengar
Water – Kingdra, Latias
Fighting – Gengar, Latias
The Epic Revenge Killer
Gengar @ Choice Scarf
Timid / Levitate
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
~ Shadow Ball
~ Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power (Ice)
~ Focus Blast / Psychic
Gengar @ Choice Scarf
Timid / Levitate
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
~ Shadow Ball
~ Thunderbolt
~ Hidden Power (Ice)
~ Focus Blast / Psychic
Gengar is an awesome Revenge Killer and overall DD-Dragon-type and Gyarados counter. Neither Salamence and its Dragon-type counterparts, nor Gyarados are capable of outspeeding this Gengar after a single Dragon Dance, and are in turn (under most circumstances) OHKO’d by Hidden Power Ice or Thunderbolt, respectively. Gengar can also serve to take out fast Psychics like Alakazam and Starmie that would expect to outspeed it. Even if Starmie is Scarfed itself, it cannot OHKO Gengar, as most Starmie do not pack Psychic as it has horrible coverage. Focus Blast is for Weavile and Tyranitar, but with 70% accuracy it is everything BUT reliable. Plus, Gengar is easily trapped and Pursuited by these two, but this does allow me to set something up with Lucario (providing Weavile is Choice Banded). Psychic is another option as it hits Infernape for a OHKO, something that causes the rest of my team (other than Latias) major nightmares.
Team Synergy
Ghost – Weavile, Lucario, Heatran
Dark – Lucario, Heatran
Psychic – Weavile, Latias, Heatran
Ghost – Weavile, Lucario, Heatran
Dark – Lucario, Heatran
Psychic – Weavile, Latias, Heatran
Aren’t I just irresistibly cute? ^_^
Latias @ Leftovers
Timid / Levitate
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
~ Calm Mind
~ Surf
~ Dragon Pulse
~ Thunderbolt
Latias @ Leftovers
Timid / Levitate
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
~ Calm Mind
~ Surf
~ Dragon Pulse
~ Thunderbolt
Haha, Cresselia used to fill this spot, until I released how little offensive potential it had. Latias sports nice resistances to Fire, Electric, and Water (something that Cress can’t boast about), which increases its ability to effective wall special attacks with its massive base 130 defense. But like all the other members of my team, this Latias is centered on offense and not defense. It has a helpful immunity to Ground type attacks, and also resists Fighting, which makes it the ideal partner with Heatran, as it almost always has the opportunity to set up a Calm Mind while the opponent flees. After a single Calm Mind, Latias becomes a beast. It laughs at special attacks, including super-effective ones, namely Shadow Balls from Gengar and Mismagius. Sure, it doesn’t pack anything that can OHKO these two, but they can’t do anything back to it at all. Again, the Water-Dragon combination is pretty standard on Latias, but I added in Thunderbolt so that I don’t get walled completely by Empoleon, and have a chance to take out Gyarados, who would seriously threaten my team if Gengar is sleeping with the fishes. Leftovers > Life Orb because I want this Latias to last =_=…preferably a long time.
Team Synergy
Dragon – Heatran, Lucario, Gengar
Ice – Heatran, Lucario, Weavile
Bug – Heatran, Gengar, Lucario
Dark – Lucario, Heatran
Ghost - Lucario, Heatran, Weavile
Dragon – Heatran, Lucario, Gengar
Ice – Heatran, Lucario, Weavile
Bug – Heatran, Gengar, Lucario
Dark – Lucario, Heatran
Ghost - Lucario, Heatran, Weavile
Possible Problems:
- I don’t have any safe switch-ins to Magnezone and SpecsJolt; although Latias can take them to an extent (preferably after it already has a Calm Mind up), it can’t dispose of them swiftly. This can sort of be solved by replacing Kingdra with a CB Swampert, who used to occupy this position.
- Two of my three special sweepers are vulnerable to Pursuit; although they play as bait for Lucario, it seems kind of pointless just wasting them.
- An opposing Swords Dance Lucario gives me problems, along with Tyranitar and Weavile, because my own Lucario is the sole reliable way I can deal with them; Gengar has Focus Blast, but 70% accuracy is a little eh….plus I can only hope to revenge kill them.
- I don’t have anything that can absorb status; this can be solved by adding a Sleep Talking CB variant of Machamp with Guts in Lucario’s place. Not only does this allow me to effective deal with Thunder Waves, Toxics, and Sleep (World of Warcrafts would go to Heatran), but it also gives me more of a chance against Weavile and TTar. Machamp resists both of TTar’s STABs, and isn’t weak to anything it would normally carry. As for Weavile, it doesn’t resist its secondary STAB, but it is not weak to anything Weavile normally pack at the same time.
- My lead has issues with Jirachi and Crobat.
- I lack Stealth Rock set up, which can cause problems with missing KOs in the long run.
- Hax.
