Hello, I'll start by introducing myself, since 99% of the readers don't know me.
I'm Arrowz(no fixed shoddy IGN yet), and I came back roughly 2 months ago from a 3-year pokemon abstinence, after having played for quite some time.
Since 3 years is quite a long time to catch up to the metagame, I worked on knowing the nuances of DPPt. Since I'm a total nerd(the kind that used to teambuild all day even in classes), I'm always looking to try any set/combo/idea that I haven't tried before, especially when it's often seen as bad... I always want to realize myself the very reason it is bad, and if possible, play around it.
The sprite of Magmar's evolved form seemed quite appealing to the Vorthos side of me...
http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Vorthos
So I ended up trying to build around it.
While I did realize it was outshined by its competition for the most part, in the form of...
- Stronger SATK
- Stronger Defensively
- Better resistances
- Flash Fire absorb/power boost
- Unpredictable
- Useful dual STAB
- Faster
- Setting-up Moves
- Fire boost from Blaze
- Easier to switch-in if rid of SR
- Faster
- Stronger Defensively
- Stronger ATK
- Equal SATK
- Dual STAB
- Useful dual STAB
- Flash Fire absorb/power boost
- Stronger ATK
- Intimidate
I still tried to find something that Magmortar could do, which others could not. That came in the form of the ability Flame Body, a trait that is shared only with Magcargo.
It would take a reasonably bulky Magmortar moveset to pull this off, however, since its defenses are quite bad to begin with.
This is the spread I came up with
Magmortar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 84 Spd / 16 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
While I wasn't sure what kind of hits I would be taking, I figured at least Scizor/Jirachi would be decently checked here.
Achieving 223 speed, some of the things Magmortar can pass are:
- Most Scizor
- Adamant Tyranitar(221)
- Modest Empoleon(219)
- Jolly Jirachi, if Trickscarfed(328)
After picking the set, I figured I would want my team to focus on the Burn status as much as possible. Of the 3 statuses I can inflict (Poison, Burn, Paralysis),
It is the one I tend to favour most on Balanced teams, as opposed to Poison on Stall, and... well, Fainted, on offense.
Magmortar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 84 Spd / 16 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Lava Plume
- Focus Blast
- Protect
- ???
Lava Plume is the move I knew I wanted to include, in order to get a better chance at burning things. Protect would help me against Choice sets, as well as in general scouting.
Focus Blast will not only weaken Snorlax(40%+), but will also hurt Tyranitar badly, albeit not a direct KO.
The first move I tried out was Confuse Ray, since it might have been annoying for opponents, if they were burned, and possibly with SR on the field. However, Magmortar proved to not be sturdy enough for this task, and I ended up going with Thunderbolt, for general coverage.
I know that Focus Blast can easily miss, but apart from it being a powerful move, if it hits it will also be a cause of psychologic pressure to the opponent, since the ''not knowing when it will miss'' does not only apply to me.
Pokemon #1
Magmortar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 84 Spd / 16 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Lava Plume
- Focus Blast
- Protect
- Thunderbolt
I thought about the way to support Magmortar best. I didn't want to have a very exact game plan, since I like to keep myself some room to manoeuver.
Because of this I thought Stealth Rock was the way to go. Not only would it weaken the opponent, as he tried to evade the burns, but it would also pressure them psychologically, while making me feel more at ease about the game.
Now, I wanted something that would:
- Be sturdy
- Setup Stealth Rock
- Cover at least 1 of Magmortar's 3 weaknesses
- Resist Sandstorm
Out of the multiple answers I could come up with, I picked Gliscor. I stared at the stats for a while, to see what I could do with them.
I knew I wanted to use the Hyper Cutter ability, because it is very good IMO(disregard intimidates).
So it would be something along the lines of:
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- ???
- ???
I didn't want to use Ice Fang, since I wasn't running enough ATK for it to actually hurt anything.
Apart from this, I wanted to have some coverage, to hit things here and there.
I ended up choosing the old Ground/Rock association, which would get me 2HKO on Salamence, Offensive Gyara, and Metagross, as well as a 3HKO against Bulky Gyara, at the cost of some Accuraccy.
Of course, this wasn't enough for me to consider those threats covered, but it would help.
EVs were made in order to have acceptable SDEF, while maintaining Gliscor's physical sturdiness and reaching the 319 ''bonus point'', with the Impish nature.
Pokemon #2
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
At this point, I had an obvious Water-type weakness, and I wasn't exactly safe from say, Choice-Banded stone Edges. I already had Magmortar, as a primary Burn-machinegun, and it was time to continue building in the same block-and-attack mindset.
Having watched the ''status'' of my team-to-be, I realized that Empoleon would give me the resistances which I currently don't have.
The 'standard' sweeping Empoleon would not do the trick, however. I wanted something that could somewhat defy the dominance of Starmie, should the need arise, as well as possibly hurt foes weakened by Burn.
The set I chose was...
Pokemon #3
Empoleon (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Spd / 88 SAtk / 164 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Surf
Protect not only lets leftovers recover, but it also scouts the opponent, and protects me from anything CB-locked.
Ice Beam can let me Revenge Kill an outrage or choice-locked salamence, while Surf provides a powerful STAB move, and Grass Knot helps me check Water-types.
Having the 1st 3 pokemon, and at least 1 resistance to each element, it was time to decide what else I wanted, and what I did not want to have on the team.
At this time, and before looking at threats, the things I wrote down on the paper were:
- Ghost
- 2nd dragon resist
- 2nd burn provider
- Way to get rid of entry hazards, or Toxic Spikes at the very least
The first thing that came to mind was Rotom-a, which is not only a Ghost, but could also work as my second burn provider. I knew I wanted to give it some DEF, to become my main Gyarados switch-in, but I didn't want to lose too much SpDef, so I could use its Electric resist.
The set I ended up with was:
Pokemon #4
Rotom-w (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 160 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Will-o-wisp
- Rest
Thunderbolt helped me deal with Gyarados, while Shadow Ball would be used to deal with pokemon like Gengar[Empoleon(Shadow Ball) -Switch-> Rotom(Focus Blast/Thunderbolt)]
I chose Rotom-w because, even though it probably does not matter much, the Hydro Pump threat might keep Fire-types from coming in on Will-o-Wisp.
I still needed a Dragon-type resist, and a way to rid myself of Toxic Spikes(and other hazards perhaps).
I ended up choosing trickscarf Jirachi, as my secondary outrage resist, as it would have a good interaction with Empoleon and Magmortar's protects, while it would help me get RK on some things. I was hoping it would help me deal with Latias, since the team was quite weak against it.
Thinking that it would most likely become the team's lead, I ended up going 298 ATK Jolly, with 309 speed base, since I was expecting it to outspeed Salamences, and outspeeding Lucario and friends by only 1 would have a good chance of getting into a speed tie.
Here is the moveset:
Pokemon #5
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 80 HP / 248 Atk / 180 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Ice Punch
- Iron Head
- U-Turn
- Trick
For the last slot, as my rapid spinner, toxic spikes absorber(even though only Magmortar is affected by Toxic spikes), and primary fire-type resist, I picked Tentacruel. Now, the standard versions run Toxic Spikes, but I did not want those, as I would be focusing on the Burn status.
Due to this, I decided on a set that supports the team from another angle, getting opponents rid of Leftovers and getting me rid of Toxic Spikes and other hazards.
I have to use it carefully, however, as knocking down choice items which I force onto my opponent can cause me trouble.
Pokemon #6
Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP / 188 Def / 72 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Rest
- Surf
Surf helps me get rid of Infernape, and helps tentacruel not be a complete deadweight in front of some other pokemon, such as a burned Hippowdon, a Skarmory, or a very weakened Tyranitar, or Scizor... or something
I must say, I thought of using Black Sludge, but I figured that even though I'm running 2 pokemon with trick, I want to keep the game as much ''within my grasp'' as possible, instead of risking losing control of it.
First person I played(On shoddy, since I had been joking around on Netbattle for about 2-3 matches, even though Rotom-a isn't there) with this team was Husk. I lost 1-0 in the end due to a misclick, but I believe I had about 70% chance to win(Focus Blast's accuraccy), had I not misclicked Lava Plume when facing Tyranitar.
After this, I played goofball, who was just testing a team(normally I wouldn't mention this, but I respect Goof as a player, so I think this isn't totally irrelevant). After some switching around, I managed to trick his Spiritomb and he forfeited (at 6-4).
After taking the team for 5 matches in the ladder I was quite frustrated. After having won the first match easily, I lost 3 of the following 4 matches.
All of them to the bloodthirsty beast commonly known as Calm Mind latias.
I had planned to check Latias with Jirachi, but the fact Jirachi was the team's lead, and that it didn't quite have the recovery potential of its teammates made it so that I couldn't resist Latias well enough.
After thinking for a while, I not only removed Jirachi from the lead, but also switched it with Metagross, since Ice Punch wasn't exactly a big damage dealer against Latias, and once the Scarf was 'donated', Iron Head couldn't quite flinch the Eon.
I kept the same strategy. Trickscarf, Meteor Mash, Explosion. The last move was hard to choose. Between Earthquake and Bullet Punch, I ended up picking Earthquake, since having my build semi-scouted by Stealth Rock might encourage Magnezone to come in.
At the same time, I changed my Rotom. I wasn't using Shadow Ball as often as I had expected, so I chose to give Rotom Trickscarf also, instead of it.
The two Tricksters shuffling around, along with Tentacruel's Knock Off(Which I only use very carefully, and mostly in the early game), ended up making this team more fun to play than I had expected.~
The Synergy with Magmortar and Empoleon's Protect proved to be quite useful in many occasions.
Pokemon #5
>>> Switch >>>
Metagross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 112 HP/160 Atk/236 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Trick
- Explosion
- Earthquake
The lead I am using ATM is Gliscor. Since lately there has been(from what I hear) an increase in the usage of Taunt Gliscor, I usually manage to get past the game opening with no scars, and sometimes with my own SR on from the start.
After those losses, and having my rating down to depths I had never visited, I kept playing with that same nick, and managed to get it back up... somewhat.
In a non-ladder match, I got swept by a Raikou piloted by Loki(Before that, the match wasn't going badly for me. I switched metagross in turn1, thinking I had enough speed to pass Starmie, but I didn't). Upon realizing this, I changed my Rotom-w EV spread in order to achieve that much speed.
I'm happy I didn't stop playing after those Latias losses, as after that the team has been doing quite well.
Here's what it looks like at this moment:
(Redoing the description, somewhat, since what I wrote before was my process of building the team)
So, now let's look at the team structure, after it's built:
At a glance
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/16 Def/236 SDef
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Roost
Puts a lot of pressure on me, but I'll probably switch to Metagross, then either mash or switch to Magmortar, depending on the situation.
Stone Edge, then either Stealth Rock or Stone Edge again, depending on the situation.
Depends on the mood, but probaby send an EQ to the face on turns 1 and 2(Turn 1 flinched), then either Earthquake, Stone Edge or Rotom in turn 3.
Hope it's not a physical bander and Stone-Edge once, then switch.
Bronzong - Stealth Rock. If he bought the taunt bluff, I'll try an Earthquake turn2.
I don't have a fixed plan, but depending on my mood I'll either Stone Edge it, or try to setup Stealth Rock(if taunt, turn2 Magmortar and try to burn)
Don't have a fixed plan either, but from the moment I see it I prepare for a Rainy match. I don't see it as a major threat though.
Switch to Empoleon, then decide what to do from there.
Gliscor - Depends on my mood, but possibly attempt to Stealth Rock, then rotom in to trick, or something.
Tough call, but tentacruel is probably the best switch. I might feel insane and EQ on turn 1, though, if I'm looking to test my opponent(happens often xD, and I sometimes even make a stupid move out of curiosity, especially when the person is someone I know and have never battled before)... even though Specs Overheat can and will 1-hit.
Stealth Rock, then... something.
Earthquake it, then switch tentacruel in and Rapid spin knockout.
Depends on my mood. Either Earthquake or send Magmortar in.
Stealth Rock up, then switch to rotom if he didn't sub... or something.
This could mean trouble. but I'll probably try to find a way to bring rotom in with it outside substitute.
Depends on my mood, but probably Earthquake turn 1. Not staying there to use the second quake, however.
By far the worst match-up, since Stone Edge has 80% accuraccy. I'll have to find a way to defend myself, and pray it works. The strategy will depend on whether Ninjask has protect or not.
Let it sleep Gliscor as I attempt to Stealth Rock, then bring in Magmortar... or something.[Currently considering what's more important, between keeping hazards away or setting up my own hazards. Between those, I might end up starting to let Magmortar sleep instead]
Something along the same lines as Roserade.
Switch to Empoleon, then decide what to do from there, possibly Rotom.
Stealth rock, then Rotpoleon again, probably.
Scary, but I think empoleon in turn 1.
Not sure, but shouldn't be a big problem.
Magmortar in.
Gliscor carries a plethora of resistances. While the moveset was not designed specifically to act as a lead pokemon, if played well, it allows me to get past the opening of the game(first 3 turns) without much trouble.
While the moveset does somewhat remind me of Hippowdon, I find the little attempt at absence of Sandstorm and the Taunt bluff a good reason for me to elect Gliscor as the first pokemon to enter the fight.
Metagross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 112 HP/160 Atk/236 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Trick
- Explosion
- Earthquake
Apart from the ''in general'' uses of it, Meteor Mash is supposed to put some nice dent on Latias, and at the same time this pokemon is supposed to take part in helping me force-choice the opponent.
Magmortar (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP/160 Def/84 Spd/16 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Focus Blast
- Lava Plume
- Protect
- Thunderbolt
The three attacks are there for coverage in general, while protect is supposed to help me against either at scouting, or against Choice or Force-Choice pokemon. Magmortar's trait does somewhat give all my pokemon a 5th move, in some ocasions.
Empoleon (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/4 Spd/88 SAtk/164 SDef
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
- Protect
The connecting link between ''Gliscoleon'' and ''Rotpoleon''.
The same way I could switch Gliscor -> Empoleon -> Gliscor, I'm allowed a Gliscor -> Empoleon -> Rotom, or Rotom -> Empoleon -> Gliscor switch.
It is a part of the ''Trickbind'' axis, whick I will explain later.
Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP/176 Def/84 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
- Rest
- Surf
I am still considering Black Sludge, but for now I'm going to continue using Leftovers. Rapid Spin is for helping me get rid of hazards, while Knock Off divests the opponent's item(must be used carefully, as divesting a choice item can be fatal), which can, if used well, lower the survivability of a pokemon such as a spin blocker.
I am not running toxic spikes, because I value the Burn status higher than Toxic status, on most balanced teams, like I consider this one.
Rotom-w @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/136 Spd/120 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Will-o-wisp
- Rest
If you read the team-building process, you know that I need Rotom-w for Will-o-Wisp. While it is not the easiest of things to pilot, I often manage to Will-o-Wisp even before tricking. Thunderbolt helps me take a big chunk off Gyarados(main reason for the +def nature), and rest gives this pokemon general survivability, which its many resistances help to increase.
Team Mechanics
This little section is for nerds like me, who stare at teams looking to find one or more axis to guide themselves when playing it.
Passive Damage:
Stealth Rock
Burn
Stop Recovery
(This helps the passive damage stack)
Trick
Knock Off
Trickbind
Trick
Protect
''Main Elemental Resistance'' Axis
Rotpoleon___________Gliscoleon
Must go eat!
Posting threat list after dinner!
THANKS for reading all this.
[I'm the kind that loves to read these walls of pokemon text, but I do realize most people aren't like that]
I'm Arrowz(no fixed shoddy IGN yet), and I came back roughly 2 months ago from a 3-year pokemon abstinence, after having played for quite some time.
Since 3 years is quite a long time to catch up to the metagame, I worked on knowing the nuances of DPPt. Since I'm a total nerd(the kind that used to teambuild all day even in classes), I'm always looking to try any set/combo/idea that I haven't tried before, especially when it's often seen as bad... I always want to realize myself the very reason it is bad, and if possible, play around it.
The sprite of Magmar's evolved form seemed quite appealing to the Vorthos side of me...
http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Vorthos
So I ended up trying to build around it.
While I did realize it was outshined by its competition for the most part, in the form of...
- Stronger SATK
- Stronger Defensively
- Better resistances
- Flash Fire absorb/power boost
- Unpredictable
- Useful dual STAB
- Faster
- Setting-up Moves
- Fire boost from Blaze
- Easier to switch-in if rid of SR
- Faster
- Stronger Defensively
- Stronger ATK
- Equal SATK
- Dual STAB
- Useful dual STAB
- Flash Fire absorb/power boost
- Stronger ATK
- Intimidate
I still tried to find something that Magmortar could do, which others could not. That came in the form of the ability Flame Body, a trait that is shared only with Magcargo.
It would take a reasonably bulky Magmortar moveset to pull this off, however, since its defenses are quite bad to begin with.
This is the spread I came up with
Magmortar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 84 Spd / 16 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
While I wasn't sure what kind of hits I would be taking, I figured at least Scizor/Jirachi would be decently checked here.
Achieving 223 speed, some of the things Magmortar can pass are:
- Most Scizor
- Adamant Tyranitar(221)
- Modest Empoleon(219)
- Jolly Jirachi, if Trickscarfed(328)
After picking the set, I figured I would want my team to focus on the Burn status as much as possible. Of the 3 statuses I can inflict (Poison, Burn, Paralysis),
It is the one I tend to favour most on Balanced teams, as opposed to Poison on Stall, and... well, Fainted, on offense.
Magmortar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 84 Spd / 16 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Lava Plume
- Focus Blast
- Protect
- ???
Lava Plume is the move I knew I wanted to include, in order to get a better chance at burning things. Protect would help me against Choice sets, as well as in general scouting.
Focus Blast will not only weaken Snorlax(40%+), but will also hurt Tyranitar badly, albeit not a direct KO.
The first move I tried out was Confuse Ray, since it might have been annoying for opponents, if they were burned, and possibly with SR on the field. However, Magmortar proved to not be sturdy enough for this task, and I ended up going with Thunderbolt, for general coverage.
I know that Focus Blast can easily miss, but apart from it being a powerful move, if it hits it will also be a cause of psychologic pressure to the opponent, since the ''not knowing when it will miss'' does not only apply to me.
Pokemon #1
Magmortar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 84 Spd / 16 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Lava Plume
- Focus Blast
- Protect
- Thunderbolt
I thought about the way to support Magmortar best. I didn't want to have a very exact game plan, since I like to keep myself some room to manoeuver.
Because of this I thought Stealth Rock was the way to go. Not only would it weaken the opponent, as he tried to evade the burns, but it would also pressure them psychologically, while making me feel more at ease about the game.
Now, I wanted something that would:
- Be sturdy
- Setup Stealth Rock
- Cover at least 1 of Magmortar's 3 weaknesses
- Resist Sandstorm
Out of the multiple answers I could come up with, I picked Gliscor. I stared at the stats for a while, to see what I could do with them.
I knew I wanted to use the Hyper Cutter ability, because it is very good IMO(disregard intimidates).
So it would be something along the lines of:
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- ???
- ???
I didn't want to use Ice Fang, since I wasn't running enough ATK for it to actually hurt anything.
Apart from this, I wanted to have some coverage, to hit things here and there.
I ended up choosing the old Ground/Rock association, which would get me 2HKO on Salamence, Offensive Gyara, and Metagross, as well as a 3HKO against Bulky Gyara, at the cost of some Accuraccy.
Of course, this wasn't enough for me to consider those threats covered, but it would help.
EVs were made in order to have acceptable SDEF, while maintaining Gliscor's physical sturdiness and reaching the 319 ''bonus point'', with the Impish nature.
Pokemon #2
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
At this point, I had an obvious Water-type weakness, and I wasn't exactly safe from say, Choice-Banded stone Edges. I already had Magmortar, as a primary Burn-machinegun, and it was time to continue building in the same block-and-attack mindset.
Having watched the ''status'' of my team-to-be, I realized that Empoleon would give me the resistances which I currently don't have.
The 'standard' sweeping Empoleon would not do the trick, however. I wanted something that could somewhat defy the dominance of Starmie, should the need arise, as well as possibly hurt foes weakened by Burn.
The set I chose was...
Pokemon #3
Empoleon (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Spd / 88 SAtk / 164 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Surf
Protect not only lets leftovers recover, but it also scouts the opponent, and protects me from anything CB-locked.
Ice Beam can let me Revenge Kill an outrage or choice-locked salamence, while Surf provides a powerful STAB move, and Grass Knot helps me check Water-types.
Having the 1st 3 pokemon, and at least 1 resistance to each element, it was time to decide what else I wanted, and what I did not want to have on the team.
At this time, and before looking at threats, the things I wrote down on the paper were:
- Ghost
- 2nd dragon resist
- 2nd burn provider
- Way to get rid of entry hazards, or Toxic Spikes at the very least
The first thing that came to mind was Rotom-a, which is not only a Ghost, but could also work as my second burn provider. I knew I wanted to give it some DEF, to become my main Gyarados switch-in, but I didn't want to lose too much SpDef, so I could use its Electric resist.
The set I ended up with was:
Pokemon #4
Rotom-w (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 160 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Will-o-wisp
- Rest
Thunderbolt helped me deal with Gyarados, while Shadow Ball would be used to deal with pokemon like Gengar[Empoleon(Shadow Ball) -Switch-> Rotom(Focus Blast/Thunderbolt)]
I chose Rotom-w because, even though it probably does not matter much, the Hydro Pump threat might keep Fire-types from coming in on Will-o-Wisp.
I still needed a Dragon-type resist, and a way to rid myself of Toxic Spikes(and other hazards perhaps).
I ended up choosing trickscarf Jirachi, as my secondary outrage resist, as it would have a good interaction with Empoleon and Magmortar's protects, while it would help me get RK on some things. I was hoping it would help me deal with Latias, since the team was quite weak against it.
Thinking that it would most likely become the team's lead, I ended up going 298 ATK Jolly, with 309 speed base, since I was expecting it to outspeed Salamences, and outspeeding Lucario and friends by only 1 would have a good chance of getting into a speed tie.
Here is the moveset:
Pokemon #5
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 80 HP / 248 Atk / 180 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Ice Punch
- Iron Head
- U-Turn
- Trick
For the last slot, as my rapid spinner, toxic spikes absorber(even though only Magmortar is affected by Toxic spikes), and primary fire-type resist, I picked Tentacruel. Now, the standard versions run Toxic Spikes, but I did not want those, as I would be focusing on the Burn status.
Due to this, I decided on a set that supports the team from another angle, getting opponents rid of Leftovers and getting me rid of Toxic Spikes and other hazards.
I have to use it carefully, however, as knocking down choice items which I force onto my opponent can cause me trouble.
Pokemon #6
Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP / 188 Def / 72 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Rest
- Surf
Surf helps me get rid of Infernape, and helps tentacruel not be a complete deadweight in front of some other pokemon, such as a burned Hippowdon, a Skarmory, or a very weakened Tyranitar, or Scizor... or something
I must say, I thought of using Black Sludge, but I figured that even though I'm running 2 pokemon with trick, I want to keep the game as much ''within my grasp'' as possible, instead of risking losing control of it.
First person I played(On shoddy, since I had been joking around on Netbattle for about 2-3 matches, even though Rotom-a isn't there) with this team was Husk. I lost 1-0 in the end due to a misclick, but I believe I had about 70% chance to win(Focus Blast's accuraccy), had I not misclicked Lava Plume when facing Tyranitar.
After this, I played goofball, who was just testing a team(normally I wouldn't mention this, but I respect Goof as a player, so I think this isn't totally irrelevant). After some switching around, I managed to trick his Spiritomb and he forfeited (at 6-4).
After taking the team for 5 matches in the ladder I was quite frustrated. After having won the first match easily, I lost 3 of the following 4 matches.
All of them to the bloodthirsty beast commonly known as Calm Mind latias.
I had planned to check Latias with Jirachi, but the fact Jirachi was the team's lead, and that it didn't quite have the recovery potential of its teammates made it so that I couldn't resist Latias well enough.
After thinking for a while, I not only removed Jirachi from the lead, but also switched it with Metagross, since Ice Punch wasn't exactly a big damage dealer against Latias, and once the Scarf was 'donated', Iron Head couldn't quite flinch the Eon.
I kept the same strategy. Trickscarf, Meteor Mash, Explosion. The last move was hard to choose. Between Earthquake and Bullet Punch, I ended up picking Earthquake, since having my build semi-scouted by Stealth Rock might encourage Magnezone to come in.
At the same time, I changed my Rotom. I wasn't using Shadow Ball as often as I had expected, so I chose to give Rotom Trickscarf also, instead of it.
The two Tricksters shuffling around, along with Tentacruel's Knock Off(Which I only use very carefully, and mostly in the early game), ended up making this team more fun to play than I had expected.~
The Synergy with Magmortar and Empoleon's Protect proved to be quite useful in many occasions.
Pokemon #5
Metagross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 112 HP/160 Atk/236 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Trick
- Explosion
- Earthquake
The lead I am using ATM is Gliscor. Since lately there has been(from what I hear) an increase in the usage of Taunt Gliscor, I usually manage to get past the game opening with no scars, and sometimes with my own SR on from the start.
After those losses, and having my rating down to depths I had never visited, I kept playing with that same nick, and managed to get it back up... somewhat.
In a non-ladder match, I got swept by a Raikou piloted by Loki(Before that, the match wasn't going badly for me. I switched metagross in turn1, thinking I had enough speed to pass Starmie, but I didn't). Upon realizing this, I changed my Rotom-w EV spread in order to achieve that much speed.
I'm happy I didn't stop playing after those Latias losses, as after that the team has been doing quite well.
Here's what it looks like at this moment:
(Redoing the description, somewhat, since what I wrote before was my process of building the team)
So, now let's look at the team structure, after it's built:
At a glance
Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/16 Def/236 SDef
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Roost
Bronzong - Stealth Rock. If he bought the taunt bluff, I'll try an Earthquake turn2.
Gliscor - Depends on my mood, but possibly attempt to Stealth Rock, then rotom in to trick, or something.
Gliscor carries a plethora of resistances. While the moveset was not designed specifically to act as a lead pokemon, if played well, it allows me to get past the opening of the game(first 3 turns) without much trouble.
While the moveset does somewhat remind me of Hippowdon, I find the little attempt at absence of Sandstorm and the Taunt bluff a good reason for me to elect Gliscor as the first pokemon to enter the fight.
Metagross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 112 HP/160 Atk/236 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Trick
- Explosion
- Earthquake
Apart from the ''in general'' uses of it, Meteor Mash is supposed to put some nice dent on Latias, and at the same time this pokemon is supposed to take part in helping me force-choice the opponent.
Magmortar (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP/160 Def/84 Spd/16 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Focus Blast
- Lava Plume
- Protect
- Thunderbolt
The three attacks are there for coverage in general, while protect is supposed to help me against either at scouting, or against Choice or Force-Choice pokemon. Magmortar's trait does somewhat give all my pokemon a 5th move, in some ocasions.
Empoleon (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP/4 Spd/88 SAtk/164 SDef
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
- Protect
The connecting link between ''Gliscoleon'' and ''Rotpoleon''.
The same way I could switch Gliscor -> Empoleon -> Gliscor, I'm allowed a Gliscor -> Empoleon -> Rotom, or Rotom -> Empoleon -> Gliscor switch.
It is a part of the ''Trickbind'' axis, whick I will explain later.
Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP/176 Def/84 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
- Rest
- Surf
I am still considering Black Sludge, but for now I'm going to continue using Leftovers. Rapid Spin is for helping me get rid of hazards, while Knock Off divests the opponent's item(must be used carefully, as divesting a choice item can be fatal), which can, if used well, lower the survivability of a pokemon such as a spin blocker.
I am not running toxic spikes, because I value the Burn status higher than Toxic status, on most balanced teams, like I consider this one.
Rotom-w @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/136 Spd/120 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Will-o-wisp
- Rest
If you read the team-building process, you know that I need Rotom-w for Will-o-Wisp. While it is not the easiest of things to pilot, I often manage to Will-o-Wisp even before tricking. Thunderbolt helps me take a big chunk off Gyarados(main reason for the +def nature), and rest gives this pokemon general survivability, which its many resistances help to increase.
Team Mechanics
This little section is for nerds like me, who stare at teams looking to find one or more axis to guide themselves when playing it.
Passive Damage:
Stop Recovery
(This helps the passive damage stack)
Trickbind
''Main Elemental Resistance'' Axis
Rotpoleon___________Gliscoleon
Must go eat!
Posting threat list after dinner!
THANKS for reading all this.
[I'm the kind that loves to read these walls of pokemon text, but I do realize most people aren't like that]