Introduction:
Hello. I’ve been a lurker for a long time, as you can probably see by my join date. I actually started way back in DPP UU (best tier) and always had a lot of trouble getting together the courage to actually post on the forums, let alone do so coherently. After a hiatus, I started up RU three months ago (shoutout to my tutor Arikado) and decided to formally introduce myself to the forums via a team that I built a couple weeks ago that I have a lot of fun using. I also thought it could be a good opportunity to see how I as a player could improve. For those who care, the teams currently sitting at spot 28 on the ladder underneath the alt SandR with 1470 elo, but I’m not really enamored by the whole ‘binge ladder until peaking’ deal, so I don’t know how much higher it would be if I played more than a game or two every three days. The team is about 30-5 right now, if you prefer that statistic. Without further ado, here is the team ‘Quite Go Sleep’.
Teambuilding Process:
This is the core that I initially opted to build around. Whimsicott intrigued me - after watching several SPL RU matches I took note of the sheer support options and unpredictability of Whimiscott’s move pool made it an interesting Pokemon to experiment with. I in particular wanted to explore the tailwind set. Traditionally a good partner for this is Tyrantrum, but I felt that had been explored by a number of other players at this point and wanted to try something new. I opted to try out CB Rhyperior - ground type is exceedingly strong in this metagame and I wanted to experiment with it.
On thing I noticed about the tier is that the dark type Pokemon that are strong all seem to dislike ground type moves. Think about it - Drapion, Skunktank, Houndoom, and the ghost type Doublade all take out psychic types yet dislike ground types. And the other two relevant dark types - Spiritomb and Shiftry - both greatly dislike Whimsicott. So SubCM Cresselia seemed like the perfect fit for the team. Aside from the somewhat rare pure ghost type Mega-Banette and Cofagrigus, it seemed like it could be be a strong partner to the Whimsicott Rhyperior core.
Alright, so far the team seems solid. But I didn’t like things like, say, Amoonguss, Reuniclus or Meloetta. My teams traditionally have problems with these Pokemon, so I opted to use Escavalier. I really wanted a reliable counter, of which was not provided with assault vest Escavalier - it just got whittled down too often. So a Resttalk SD Escavalier paired with the SubCM Cresselia seemed to be a potent combo.
Fire types really like this team, especially Houndoom. I mean, one on one Rhyperior could take it, but I wouldn’t want to switch it in. I also wanted another Pokemon to properly utilize the support of tailwind. Well, I settled on the fact that I ultimately couldn’t maintain momentum against Delphox and Houndoom and stop them, so instead I opted to create another check with Clawitzer. Feraligatr left the tier recently, so the metagame has ejected the water resists due to the relative lack of offensive waters in the metagame. This made Clawitzer the perfect tailwind receiver, and one that unlike Rhyperior could actually outspeed fast Pokemon after tailwind.
These five Pokemon are remarkably solid - all I really wanted was an SR mon, a hazard remover, and something that could maybe check those dangerous fire types given that Clawitzer is very much a check. I couldn’t find a hazard remover I liked, so I opted to use Mega-Camerupt as an SR mon and an alternative to Rhyperior. My thought was simple - I’ve got a lot of Pokemon on my team to help out Rhyperior by aiding with the destruction of it’s counters. Fighting types don’t like whimsicott and Cresselia, water types shouldn’t like Whimsicott and Clawitzer, grass types hate Escavalier, etc. So why not double up on the strong wallbreaking ground type Pokemon? I have more to say about this, but I’ll leave it to another section to discuss the relative role of Rhyperior+Mega-Camerupt and why it is worth the type redundancy.
Offensive Partners:
Tailwind Whimsicott allows Rhyperior and Clawitzer to speed up enough to outpace dangerous Pokemon in the late game. Rhyperior is more useful for the strong bulkier teams, as even after a tailwind it is slower than most ‘fast’ Pokemon in the tier. Clawitzer, on the other hand, becomes a monster for offensive quick teams after a tailwind. This group is one of the core ways I win a close Pokemon match - Whimsicott surprisingly lives for a while and at the end of the game most teams are weakened for Escavalier/Clawitzer to break through. Neither are particularly weak to priority as well, which is an added benefit. Mega-Camerupt is too slow to really get too much out of tailwind, however.
Ok, so we have tailwind to break through offensive teams, both frail and bulky. What about balance/stall teams? These setup boosters can pair together and create two reliable win conditions at the end of the game. They also resist each others weakness quite effectively against Pokemon commonly used on balance teams. Fortunately, their combined weaknesses are covered quite well by the wallbreakers, so they often end up being the endgame core to break apart bulky Pokemon that tend to last a while such as Amoonguss, Alomomola, Slowking, and friends.
These two hate a lot of similar Pokemon, so how can they effectively pair with each other? Well, it all rests on the fact that if one goes down the other remains. This let’s me ‘chose’ a Pokemon so to speak - is Mega-Camerupt or Rhyperior going to be more effective against the opponent’s team? It’s like choosing a fifth teammate in my eyes, with the other Pokemon being a bonus or a failsafe depending on the other team. I fully expected to replace mega-camerupt when I put it on, but it functioned so well that I ended up keeping it on the team.
These are the main three, but it’s worth pointing out the efficacy of the FWG core created by Whimsicott, Clawitzer, and Mega-Camerupt. Just a bonus in my eyes.
Individual team members:
need sleep pill (Whimsicott) @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Moonblast
- Giga Drain
- Tailwind
- Encore
This is a standard offensive Whimsicott with the adaptation of running Tailwind. Moonblast and Giga Drain offer up excellent STABs that do reasonable damage and in a pinch can drop a stat or recover some of the lost HP from life orb with Giga Drain. Tailwind helps support Clawitzer and Rhyperior effectively, whereas Encore disincentives boosting sweepers from setting up willy-nilly and can in a pinch trap Pokemon into undesirable moves (such as spore fromAmoonguss when predicting the switch, boosting moves, substitute, etc.). As far a team support goes, tailwind and encore are a given, but the ability to outspeed most non-scarfers and the efficacy of the fairy type offensively adds an extra dimension in so far as that it ends up acting as a revenge killer and water-slayer (of which my team desperately needs). It also provides psychological harm to the opponents insofar as the fact that Whimsicott is so goshdang annoying to face that it makes you want to throw your computer into the wall. helps against (i.e. can’t switch in), checks, or counters Alomomola, Clawitzer, Dugtrio (sludge wave…), Druddigon, Gastrodon, Hitmonchan (lol), Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Samurott, Jellicent, Jolteon if at full HP, Kabutops, slurpuff, Medicham, Omastar, Rhyperior, Rotom-Mow, Shiftry, Slowking, Spiritomb, Tangrowth, Tyrantrum, and VIrizion.
OTHER OPTIONS:
I have considered using a offensive spread on whimsicott, but I like the damage that is done. It’s a very pivotal member, and a wholly unique one - I feel like nothing can fill it’s niche, maybe Rotom-C? But it’s one of the least replacable members on the team. Also, hp fire for steel type switch-ins I guess...
or chloroform (Rhyperior) @ Choice Band
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Ice Punch
- Megahorn
This is massively underrated in today’s environment. CB Rhyperior it’s like a truck, thus making it nearly impossible to switch into, especially given the really good STABs. Plus, it’s rare enough that grass types (such as Virizion) like to switch in - ice punch is safer than you’d think. The EVs are the standard ones - I wanted the bulk moreso than the speed, even with tailwind. It’s also a M-Steelix buster - it can switch in and fool the mega-steelix into staying in to get chip damage a teams struggles from rhyperior, which has won more than one game given that SD resttalk Escavalier really wrecks teams without strong attackers. It’s also my qwilfish answer - they rarely will waterfall because of the fact that they are heavily depended on for spikes, especially given that they probably can live non-banded rhyperior. So they get up one layer (assuming no focus sash, which is an ehh set against most teams) and Rhyperior guts them, which is really nice for my team. It survives waterfall regardless without a flinch, in which case they don’t get up spikes at all (getting flinched suck tho, but it’s rare that they waterfall anyways, let alone flinch). There really isn’t much to explain - it’s definitely a ‘HULK SMASH’ kind of Pokemon, and functions well in weakening Pokemon for the late game sweepers or sweeping slow teams itself after tailwind. It helps against/checks/counters ambipom, mega-camerupt, braviary, cobalion, cincinno (watch for bullet seed), cofagrigus when weakened,doublade, non grass knot delphox, drapion, durant, escavalier, emboar (when not superpower), mega-glalie, golbat, houndoom, jolteon, sometimes magneton (risky), pinsir, registeel, regirock, fletchinder, m-banette, skunktank, mega-steelix, sigilyph and tyrantrum.
OTHER OPTIONS: CB tyrantrum would make sense, but I just want some more bulk than it offers. Rock Blast and Aqua Tail are both options I guess. I have considered Stealth Rock as an option, but choice locked Stealth Rock is ehhhhhhhhhh.
night night (Escavalier) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Swords Dance
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
This thing is a monster in disguise. Initially I just wanted something that could take down reuniclus, meloetta, and bulky Pokemon such as alomomola. This thing does that effectively, but also offers up a dangerous late game sweeper that most players are unprepared for. Most bug resists are defensive in nature, which allows escavalier optimal opportunities to set up. It pairs nearly perfect with Cresselia, as cresselia will lose the end game calm mind if the opportunity is presented to it but escavalier tears non-sigilyph cm pokemon apart. It also can absorb status, of which most of my team can’t. It’s very underrated right now and allows the team some leeway as far as residual damage goes (resisting toxic is much nicer than would think). It helps against/checks/counters m-abomasnow, accelgor, alomomola, ambipom, amoonguss (except hp fire ones), bronzong, braviary, aromatisse, cinchona, cresselia, cofagrigus (not np), durant, m-glalie, meloetta, slurpuff, registeel, regirock, reuniclus, rotom-c, shiftry, slowking, spiritomb, tan growth (not hp fire), whimsicott, viridian kinda. The nature was adapted by me as to give more offensive utility and to get the +6 2ko on physically defensive alomomola.
OTHER OPTIONS: Iron head is the obvious one, but i really need this to emphasize taking sown the psychic/dark types. Swarm could work I suppose, but rest will make it go up to 100% most of the time anyways. AV pursuit trapper could be good, but it really isn’t they priority, plus it loses its recovery. I’ve considered SD cobalion, but I don’t like the fighting weakness.
count sheeps (Clawitzer) @ Expert Belt/Assault Vest/Life Orb
Ability: Mega Launcher
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
Probably the most expendable member (this and mega-camerupt), it still offers a lot of wall breaking utility at the cost of switching in. The coverage is self-explanatory, but I’ve gone back and forth several times over the items. Life Orb is what I initially used, but I felt as though I was worked down way too fast (especially given the lower speed without tailwind). Assault Vest just lacks the abilty to hit that hard, but it has on certain occasions dodged 2kos. expert belt is what I am biased towards, as it’s 2/3 of a life orb and has excellent coverage, but requires better coverage. It’s constantly back and forth for me. This thing is the go-to mon for a dangerous threat late game, as normally it does just enough to weaken into cress/whimsicott range. Overall a good mon, but there could be better I suppose. It helps with/checks/counters Mega-Banette, bronzong, cresselia, cofagrigus, doublade, emboar, fletchinder, m-camerupt, goblet, m-glalie, houndoom, jellicent, registeel, rhyperior, skunktank, spiritomb and m-steelix.
OTHER OPTIONS: I very briefly used Mantine here to have a defogger and to specially check threats better. It was ok, but it lost all the momentum I needed to execute my strategy. Jellicent’s the same really. In an ideal world, I’d use offensive milotic (prays to UU to drop it), but otherwise I can;t think of a better mon right now. Samurott could work I guess, but I personally would prefer a special attacker to wear down the special walls. It could work as a replacement, though.
shut up go bed (Cresselia) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Moonlight
- Substitute
- Moonblast
It’s subcm cresselia, nuff said.
ut seriously, with the shift to defensive cresselias this has become more of a threat again. It does what escavalier does, but better adapts to the types of offensive pokemon left near the end of the game. It also convinces people that they can rely on spiritomb and the like, which they can’t do that well (unless cm rest spiritomb). It also has the critical job of stopping fighting types, of which meloetta’s offensive variant doesn’t do that effectively. It’s the rock that keeps the offensive mons in check, and the only big flaw is the limited pp of moonblast. It helps with/counters/checks alomomola, ambipom, aromatic, cobalion, druddigon, eelektross, emboar, gastrodon, hitmonchan (lol), hitmonlee, hitmontop, magneton, jolteon, medicham, qwilfish, tangrowth, virizion and tyrantrum.
OTHER OPTIONS: A more defensive cresselia loses the endgame option and overall momentum. Reuniclus I considered, but I liked the ability to bluff defensive cresselia and the fairy stab comes in handy more often than one would think. Still, I’m back and forth between them. I guess Cress can also counter fightings even more effectively. it’s an interesting decision.
(credits to ‘StarryLion’ on deviantart, from whom I took this)
sweet dream (Camerupt) @ Cameruptite
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 248 HP / 176 SpD / 84 Spe
Calm Nature
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
A very effective Pokemon. I have trouble getting the mega off, but when push comes to shove it can come through. It makes electrics liabilities an gets the much needed rocks up against the opponent. It’s worth nothing how good the fire type STAB is, and it gives the team some much needed leeway. And the double ground coverage wears down team much much much faster than you’d think - to the extent that it’s broke some tough teams because the resists get worn down. The team also needs toxic support if something goes wrong with the bulky sweepers which will happen occasionally. It’s not complicated, as is the team - you get in in, and smash. It helps against/checks/counters m-abomasnow, accelgor, amoonguss, mega-banette (if in already), bronzong, cobalion (they love to predict sr), delphox, doublade, cofagrigus, durant, electors, emboar, escavalier, m-glalie, jolteon, magneton, pinsir, registeel, rotom-cshiftry, skunktank, m-steelix, tangrowth, virizion and whimsicott.
OTHER OPTIONS: A lot could go here in theory, but in practice it’s hard to match the offensive pressure and the ability to stunt vulture momentum. Maybe CB emboar cold work, but the special pressure and emergency toxic can work out really well. But yah, this could be expendable if a mon with better synergy and equal pressure is found (I have been searching, but have not found anything). Molk’s resttalk set is another option, but in this case I need sr and toxic also really helps. Although I do want to try that set.
Weaknesses:
Fast things - my team is slow before tailwind, so they can lategame sweep me or do work earlier on.
hazards -biggest generalized threats, they don’t get off when they get on the field. fortunately my mons all resist stealth rock (which is by design)
ghosts: no resists is dangerous to some degree, fortunately escavalier can stop the psychics.
Conclusion:
Well, I hope you enjoyed the team - I really like it and although it is by no means perfect it has good offensive and defensive synergy. If you have any recommendations, I’d love to try them out and see how they work. After all, that’s why I posted it in RMT in the first place. And if you read this whole thing, I am thoroughly impressed - I’m way too wordy.
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