Hey, welcome to another one of my RMTs. This is a Pittsburgh Steelers themed team (American Football for those international users). If you don't like the Steelers, you can go to hell. I'm a HUGE fan, and so naturally I had to make a team centered around them. I've usually been an offensive player, but recently I've really wanted to make stall teams. Also, the Steelers have the best Defense in the NFL, so that definitely influenced me. I'm not very good at stall, but the only way to get better is with experience, so I've been trying out different teams. So here it is, the team:
TEAM BUILDING:
Mike Wallace @ Black Sludge
Inner Focus
104 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 144 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Taunt
- U-turn
- Brave Bird
- Roost
WHY DON'T PEOPLE USE PROBAT? IT HAS THE WORD "PRO" IN IT! Seriously, though, Crobat is so good it's not even funny. Crobat's lightning speed makes it a terror on the field and essentially gives it pseudo-priority on Roost and Taunt. Crobat outspeeds all positive nature, max speed base 115 pokemon (Azelf, most notably). The reason it only has 144 Speed EVs is because anything above that is unnecessary. Sure, I speed tie with Aerodactyl and outspeed positive natured scarfed Politoeds, but that's not really important. Taunt shuts down other pokemon and keeps hazards off the field. U-Turn is a fantastic move to take care of sashes and Sturdy and allows Crobat to be a fantastic annoyer later in the game. Brave Bird is the main attacking move of the set, and it is very powerful. It's a base 120 STAB attack coming off of a max attack pokemon. Roost is for healing up damage, as this is a stall team. Because I am so fast, it is also useful for predicting attacks. For example, if I predict a Rock attack, I can use Roost to heal up and take neutral damage. The EVs I chose give Crobat max attack, max necessary speed (mentioned above), a leftovers/black sludge number, and just dumps the rest into defense. The great thing about Crobat is how it just completely stops many popular leads. For example, Hippowdon is taunted, and then just can't do anything. It has to switch out as I U-Turn to an appropriate counter. On leads like Tyranitar, I U-Turn immediately to Metagross, either allowing rocks or taking minimal damage from Stone Edge. Metagross then uses Bullet Punch for the KO. If they are scarfed, I'll know as they outspeed my Crobat, meaning that I set up with pokemon like Nattorei.
This is kind of an odd Metagross set for multiple reasons.
CHANGES:
I've considered running a set with Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash, Hammer Arm, and Stone Edge for the Rock-Fighting coverage combined with strong STAB and priority.
Metagross is Ben Roethlisberger because he is HUGE. He maintains an offensive presence while still being bulky and hard to take down. He also has great synergy with receivers like Wallace/Crobat. Basically, big, bad, bulky, and a bro.
252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish (+Def, -SAtk)
- Fling
- Protect
- Acrobat
- Earthquake
CHANGES:
A more traditional set works too. A regular Toxic-stalling set works, but it isn't as scary as Acrofling Gliscor on both offense and defense.
Gliscor is Troy Polamalu because of its incredible power of defense. Both are aggressive defensively and powerful. Polamaulu is quick and speedy, but also built like a brick house. Same goes for Gliscor. Both are staples of their teams.
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm (+SDef, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Toxic
- Recover
- Hidden Power [Fire]
CHANGES:
Ice Beam is also a useful choice, especially for taking out Dragons. I'm thinking about changing this to Tentacruel for Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin support.
James Harrison is one of the scariest, most monster-like defenders in the NFL. Burungeru can be one of the scariest special defenders in the metagame. Both are absolute monsters that simply will not fall. You don't want to faced against either of them if they're defending.
CHANGES:
What do you think about putting Spikes over Toxic?
LaMarr Woodley is one of my favorite players in the NFL, and Nattorei is one of my favorite pokemon (even though Tesshido looks way cooler). Both are built like brick houses and are monsters on defense. They shut down frailer teams built around offense, but are really just a stop to any offense of any kind. They both fit the "slow but strong" personality too, as both are pretty slow.
Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
CHANGES:
I really have no idea what to use for coverage moves, for reasons said above. Also, I've considered Leftovers over a Life Orb, but I like Latias better with a Life Orb for late game cleaning.
Give Hines Ward the ball and he'll make the touchdown. Give Latias a good proper set up and she'll take down the rest of the opponent's team. Both are almost unstoppable to take out. Incredibly fast, and incredibly powerful.
TEAM BUILDING:
Mmmmkay, so this was going to be a Pittsburgh themed team from the start, seeing that they are in the AFC playoffs and are doing quite well. So even though I wanted this to be a defensive team, just like the Steelers, I needed the spokesperson of the team: Ben Roethlisberger. What pokemon was Ben like? He's huge and can take a hit while delivering one, so probably a bulky offense. Even though Roobushin looks more like Ben, I decided on Metagross, simply because it flies Steelers colors and has better defensive capabilities.
At this point, I needed a pokemon to compliment Ben well, while still keeping a Stallish attitude. This really stumped me. I searched and searched and searched, but I really couldn't find anything I wanted to use. But then I was lurking in the RMT nominations to get some ideas and I came across Team Probat. This team demonstrated how great Crobat complimented Metagross. I decided to take the idea, because Crobat is a great annoyer with bulk that can also handle important threats like Roobushin.
At this point, I had the basic foundation (thanks, Cost). But there was a large 5th Gen Checklist. I started off with one of the most deadly new pokemon: Doryuuzu. I needed a solid Doryuuzu check. I wanted a stall team, so pokemon like Breloom were out of the question. I also didn't want Roobushin and Hitmontop in this spot because they weren't as stallish ad I would have liked. Instead, I came across Gliscor, who is a defensive MONSTER and can be bulky and powerful at the same time.
There were still several threats that could tear through me in a matter of seconds. In fact anything with a strong Ice move and a strong move with neutral damage on Metagross could kill me (aka Starmie). In addition, rain could tear me apart. There's a reason that this guy is used on over 20% of all Wifi teams: it's because he checks a ridiculous number of threats. I wanted to avoid using him, but using Nattorei is both essential and extremely useful.
WOW FIRE WEAKNESS MUCH? I needed something to take strong Fire moves, as well as a few Ice moves (one resistance isn't quite enough). Of course, with Nattorei comes its best partner, who has both a Fire and Ice resistance. I needed a Burungeru.
To be honest, there wasn't much else this team needed in my opinion, just one more pokemon. I had gotten everything on my checklist, all I needed to do was fill a teamslot. So I picked an old bulky offense/defensive cleaner, one that has worked very well for me on past teams. Latias.
At this point, I needed a pokemon to compliment Ben well, while still keeping a Stallish attitude. This really stumped me. I searched and searched and searched, but I really couldn't find anything I wanted to use. But then I was lurking in the RMT nominations to get some ideas and I came across Team Probat. This team demonstrated how great Crobat complimented Metagross. I decided to take the idea, because Crobat is a great annoyer with bulk that can also handle important threats like Roobushin.
At this point, I had the basic foundation (thanks, Cost). But there was a large 5th Gen Checklist. I started off with one of the most deadly new pokemon: Doryuuzu. I needed a solid Doryuuzu check. I wanted a stall team, so pokemon like Breloom were out of the question. I also didn't want Roobushin and Hitmontop in this spot because they weren't as stallish ad I would have liked. Instead, I came across Gliscor, who is a defensive MONSTER and can be bulky and powerful at the same time.
There were still several threats that could tear through me in a matter of seconds. In fact anything with a strong Ice move and a strong move with neutral damage on Metagross could kill me (aka Starmie). In addition, rain could tear me apart. There's a reason that this guy is used on over 20% of all Wifi teams: it's because he checks a ridiculous number of threats. I wanted to avoid using him, but using Nattorei is both essential and extremely useful.
WOW FIRE WEAKNESS MUCH? I needed something to take strong Fire moves, as well as a few Ice moves (one resistance isn't quite enough). Of course, with Nattorei comes its best partner, who has both a Fire and Ice resistance. I needed a Burungeru.
To be honest, there wasn't much else this team needed in my opinion, just one more pokemon. I had gotten everything on my checklist, all I needed to do was fill a teamslot. So I picked an old bulky offense/defensive cleaner, one that has worked very well for me on past teams. Latias.
I don't want to keep y'all waiting too much longer, so here's the team.
Mike Wallace @ Black Sludge
Inner Focus
104 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 144 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
WHY DON'T PEOPLE USE PROBAT? IT HAS THE WORD "PRO" IN IT! Seriously, though, Crobat is so good it's not even funny. Crobat's lightning speed makes it a terror on the field and essentially gives it pseudo-priority on Roost and Taunt. Crobat outspeeds all positive nature, max speed base 115 pokemon (Azelf, most notably). The reason it only has 144 Speed EVs is because anything above that is unnecessary. Sure, I speed tie with Aerodactyl and outspeed positive natured scarfed Politoeds, but that's not really important. Taunt shuts down other pokemon and keeps hazards off the field. U-Turn is a fantastic move to take care of sashes and Sturdy and allows Crobat to be a fantastic annoyer later in the game. Brave Bird is the main attacking move of the set, and it is very powerful. It's a base 120 STAB attack coming off of a max attack pokemon. Roost is for healing up damage, as this is a stall team. Because I am so fast, it is also useful for predicting attacks. For example, if I predict a Rock attack, I can use Roost to heal up and take neutral damage. The EVs I chose give Crobat max attack, max necessary speed (mentioned above), a leftovers/black sludge number, and just dumps the rest into defense. The great thing about Crobat is how it just completely stops many popular leads. For example, Hippowdon is taunted, and then just can't do anything. It has to switch out as I U-Turn to an appropriate counter. On leads like Tyranitar, I U-Turn immediately to Metagross, either allowing rocks or taking minimal damage from Stone Edge. Metagross then uses Bullet Punch for the KO. If they are scarfed, I'll know as they outspeed my Crobat, meaning that I set up with pokemon like Nattorei.
CHANGES:
None.
None.
Crobat is Mike Wallace because he is simply the fastest out there and the best at its job. Both are lighting fast and get their jobs done well. Both also help Ben Roethlisberger and Metagross accomplish their job.
Ben Roethlisberger @ Expert Belt
Clear Body
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Hammer Arm
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
Clear Body
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
This is kind of an odd Metagross set for multiple reasons.
- No Meteor Mash
- No set up move
- No Choice Item
- Not mixed attacks
- No Stealth Rock
This is just purely a physical attacker with a Life Orb, one of the simplest sets out there. The absence of Metoer Mash may be kind of odd to some people, but it is essential that Metagross keeps what he has now. I'll explain why each move is vital to Metagross. Bullet Punch picks off weakened leads. The basic idea for the Metagross-Crobat synergy is to U-Turn out and beat them with priority. So leads like Aerodactyl don't stand a chance when they're staring at a huge, angry chunk of metal. Hammer Arm is an odd choice, but Metagross needs it. Metagross has trouble with some walls, but Hammer Arm allows it to take down many as well. Nattorei is 2HKO'd, and it takes care of Blissey and Porygon2. It's also just the only Fighting move my team has. It's super important for taking out sand teams in addition. If TTar won't die from a Bullet Punch, I can always use Hammer Arm for damage. Doryuuzu can't switch in on me, thinking I'll switch out, giving him a chance to Swords Dance. Ice Punch is incredibly important for several reasons. Metagross walls many dragons, especially those locked into Outrage. It's important for me to have an Ice move on my Steel pokemon to handle Dragons. I also outspeed and OHKO Dragonite, making it another favorable lead matchup. Earthquake is purely for coverage, but it is extremely important coverage. It has great coverage with Ice Punch, and without it many pokemon (including the extremely popular Tentacruel) can wall me. Either way, this set has been working for me, even though it is simply a pure attacking set with priority. The EVs are maxed out in Atk for maximum power, obviously, and in HP for maximum survivability.
CHANGES:
I've considered running a set with Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash, Hammer Arm, and Stone Edge for the Rock-Fighting coverage combined with strong STAB and priority.
Metagross is Ben Roethlisberger because he is HUGE. He maintains an offensive presence while still being bulky and hard to take down. He also has great synergy with receivers like Wallace/Crobat. Basically, big, bad, bulky, and a bro.
Troy Polamalu @ Toxic Orb
Poison Heal252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish (+Def, -SAtk)
Acrofling Gliscor is a monster on any stall team. Besides having ridiculous defenses, Gliscor also has huge power. Gliscor flings its Toxic Orb on the opponent, poisoning the opponent. Not only does this allow me to stall them out but it means several other things. I can abuse healing with Protect. I can toxic stall the opponent with Protect. Acrobat is now 110 base power (165 with STAB). I can spam Acrobat for damage and hit anything else with Earthquake. I can also scout, stall, and heal all at the same time with Protect. Gliscor is also my answer to a lot of Ground-weak threats such as Doryuuzu and Heatran. Nothing gets past Gliscor. Powerful, but sturdy and just won't die. The EVs are maxed out on HP and Defense for maximum defensive walling capabilities. I need to be able to take repeated hits from several pokemon. Take Doryuuzu for example. It takes one hit to break the balloon, and another to KO it. If my defenses aren't maxed out, I won't be able to take so may pummellings. Many argue that I need more attack, but please remember that this is a stall team, and attacking is not a priority.
CHANGES:
A more traditional set works too. A regular Toxic-stalling set works, but it isn't as scary as Acrofling Gliscor on both offense and defense.
Gliscor is Troy Polamalu because of its incredible power of defense. Both are aggressive defensively and powerful. Polamaulu is quick and speedy, but also built like a brick house. Same goes for Gliscor. Both are staples of their teams.
James Harrison @ Leftovers
Water Absorb252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm (+SDef, -Atk)
Burungeru is part one of my stalling duo. Burungeru is Blissey in the new SkarmBliss combo: BurunNatt. Burungeru is a Specially Defensive beast, taking almost all of the hits with little damage. Burungeru sponges hits all day long while simultaneously spreading poison with Toxic. He then proceeds to stall out the opponent by constantly healing with Recover. If he needs to, he can use either of his attacking moves. Hydro Pump is the obligatory STAB move, yet it is suprisingly powerful. HP Fire is both unique and helpful. One of the most common switch-ins is Nattorei, who thinks that it can set up as I switch out. My team has HUGE problems with Nattorei, so this is more than helpful. It also stops Burungeru from being completely useless in the sun. For example, Urugamosu is often seen on Sun teams. He can tear through much of my team if he sets up properly. Unfortunately Nattorei can't do much due to the Sun weakening Boil Over, but HP Fire can do a decent amount of damage because it is neutral and powered by the Sun. It also hits many Grass pokemon for a ton of damage. Overall, however, Burungeru is an incredible defender that can wall much of the specially based metagame.
CHANGES:
Ice Beam is also a useful choice, especially for taking out Dragons. I'm thinking about changing this to Tentacruel for Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin support.
James Harrison is one of the scariest, most monster-like defenders in the NFL. Burungeru can be one of the scariest special defenders in the metagame. Both are absolute monsters that simply will not fall. You don't want to faced against either of them if they're defending.
LaMarr Woodley @ Leftovers
Iron Barbs
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Relaxed (+Def, -Spd)
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
Nattorei is now essential on every single stall team out there; you just can't make an effective team without him. But there's a reason....
IT'S BECAUSE HE'S SO FUCKING GOOD!
But really, Nattorei is incredible. It can sponge hits from both sides of the spectrum, but particularly well from the physical side. It stops rain teams cold, which is absolutely vital for every team. Nattorei packs an incredible list of resistances and counters an incredible list of offensive pokemon. Nattorei serves both as a utility pokemon and as a defender. Nattorei can set up Stealth Rock which helps shut down fire-type threats like Urugamosu and discourages the opponen'ts switching. Toxic helps Nattorei stall a bit longer and can help take out other stall teams. Power Whip and Gyro Ball are the obligatory STAB moves, and they are both incredibly powerful. Power Whip keeps bulky Waters and rain teams at bay (hahaha, just noticed that pun) and Gyro Ball keeps speedier, frailer sweepers off the field. So basically, Nattorei completes the stalling duo with Burungeru and is just unstoppable.Iron Barbs
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Relaxed (+Def, -Spd)
Nattorei is now essential on every single stall team out there; you just can't make an effective team without him. But there's a reason....
IT'S BECAUSE HE'S SO FUCKING GOOD!
CHANGES:
What do you think about putting Spikes over Toxic?
LaMarr Woodley is one of my favorite players in the NFL, and Nattorei is one of my favorite pokemon (even though Tesshido looks way cooler). Both are built like brick houses and are monsters on defense. They shut down frailer teams built around offense, but are really just a stop to any offense of any kind. They both fit the "slow but strong" personality too, as both are pretty slow.
Hines Ward @ Life Orb
Levitate
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 SpdLevitate
Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
Latias is a great pokemon in my opinion, and this is the best Latias set out there. Aside from being the bulkier twin, Latias can become even bulkier by healing off any Life Orb damage with Recover. This set is meant to tank through the opponent's team. Dragon Pulse has huge power despite not having the same huge power as Draco Meteor. Draco Meteor isn't really an option on this set, as the Special Attack drops are really detrimental. The two other moves are for coverage mostly. Water and Dragon have great coverage together, and Hidden Power Fire can pick off anything resisting those two moves, most notably Nattorei and other Steel types. Yet these two moves are constantly changing. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are also options, as they can hit pokemon like Skarmory and Burungeru harder, yet that means that Nattorei once again walls me. So there is no simple solution. Yet at the moment, Hidden Power Fire keeps Nattorei away, which is SUPER IMPORTANT for this team. I didn't want a TrickScarf/Specs set mostly because this is a stall team, and I also wanted Latias to function as a late game cleaner of sorts. Generally, this set can tear through the opponent's weakened team better than a Choice set can. I also chose Latias over Latios because of its greater bulk. Latias offers many useful resistances to this team, most notably Fire and Electric, but it also brings in a nasty Ice weakness.
CHANGES:
I really have no idea what to use for coverage moves, for reasons said above. Also, I've considered Leftovers over a Life Orb, but I like Latias better with a Life Orb for late game cleaning.
Give Hines Ward the ball and he'll make the touchdown. Give Latias a good proper set up and she'll take down the rest of the opponent's team. Both are almost unstoppable to take out. Incredibly fast, and incredibly powerful.
BY THE WAY.....
...Roethlisberger was never convicted of rape. Even the girl's friends who were with her said that it was consentual. So he's not a rapist.
...Roethlisberger was never convicted of rape. Even the girl's friends who were with her said that it was consentual. So he's not a rapist.
