Ok, might as well post one of my best Flying teams to date. Hope some people find this useful and helpful to get into the Monotype meta! (it's fun, join n_n)
Monotype
Intro: So I was just being my normal self, using generic Flying, when I realized that generic fly doesn't work as well as I thought. Gets smashed by Mega Medi, Mega Mawile, Bisharp, Greninja and a bunch of other garbage that I don't like to deal with. So I decided to make a team that strayed from generic flying and actually covered the entire meta (almost). Also, this team is great for beginners. My friend, who had hardly played with Flying at all, picked it up and used it to great success on the ladder. I'm almost certain that newer Monotype players will be able to quickly learn the meta with this team.
Teambuilding: Ok, don't kill me if I forgot a step here or there. I don't have the greatest memory. But I'll do my best. One thing I knew I needed to add was SpDef WoW Char X. It was way too good to pass up when you're trying to cover most of the metagame. It helps against Flying's weakness to Mawile, Bisharp, Genesect, and users of the BoltBeam combination. I chose Flare Blitz over Fire Punch so that I could wallbreak easier (this team has trouble stallbreaking) and so that I could potentially 2HKO Clefable after its Lefties got Knocked Off. Next, Lando-T was a great option. I needed a physical wall not named Skarm (way too passive, really couldn't do anything, was setup bait for anything with Taunt, etc.), since stray Stone Edge's really ruin my day. I opted for Knock Off over Stone Edge since Normal was such a hassle, and Stone Edge really only helped in Fly v Fly's, and maybe against Fire (Zard Y). Knock Off overall had much more utility, so I chose that. Mixed Defenses Gyarados was another odd addition that I needed to make. Without Skarm, Mega Meta became a gigantic threat (and Skarm wouldn't even help if they paired it with Mag Pull Magnezone, which for some reason I see a lot lately in Mono). The EV's give it enough bulk to avoid the 2HKO from LO Greninja's Ice Beam after Rocks, and doing the same for Intimidated Metagross's Zen Headbutt (I realize it has Clear Body pre-Mega, which is why it's such a threat to this team.) It also helps vs Mega Medicham and KyuW. Thunder Wave is for crippling said threats. Standard Zapdos was added on to help vs Elecs, and to provide a reliable Defogger. Togekiss was put for Lati@s, Dragons, and Heal Belling. Nasty Plot > Twave since I have Twave in Gyara, and it gives me a way to bypass Sableye and Slowbro (megas). It also is a great tool for stallbreaking. The last slot was a bit of a wild card, as I wasn't sure what to put here. I chose Banded Dnite so I could break through Normal monos (seriously, why is Chansey + P2 so hard to break), and Banded Espeed is just so good against Greninja's and other threats. And that was what made the team!
Why the team works: Simple. It doesn't die. There are very, very few mons, if any, that can break through a well built bulky Flying team. Nearly all threats that are prevalent in Monotype are covered in the core of LandT + Gyara + XZard, and then Zapdos/Togekiss gives me great utility and bulk to fall back on if necessary. Double Intimidate works wonders vs powerful Physical attackers, such as TTar and Terrakion. Toxic on Zapdos wears down annoying walls such as Gastro, Quag, and P2. Twave on Gyara cripples threats such as Metagross, Medicham, and KyuW. WoW nerfs monsters such as TTar and opposing LandT's, who think they have an easy switch into XZard. Triple status may seem odd, but in practice, it is extremely helpful. After the team has been worn down, more offensive teams get cleaned up by Banded Espeed, while bulkier teams get defeated by NP Heal Bell Togekiss. Overall, this team has two solid win cons, and just won't die.
How to play with this team: Play with this mostly how you'd play with balance/stall teams. It's not too hard to grasp, just switch in the counter to whatever threat the opponent sends out. If they send in TTar, go to Lando. If they send in Greninja, go to Gyara. Slowly wear the opponent down with Status and Rocks, and lategame, clean up with Togekiss/Dnite. Of course, your main priority when using this team, same as most Flying teams, is getting Rocks off of your side of the field. They will severely hamper chances of success, and make your team worn down in an instant. Zapdos is a reliable Defogger, but make sure to not let it get worn down. Also, don't be stupid and bring it in on every Rocker you see, such as TTar or Mamoswine. Bring it in safely on walls such as P2, Chansey, Gastro, Skarmory, Slowbro, etc. or on a U-Turn, to make sure that it can Defog safely. Also, keep in mind that with no Wish support, Dnite's Multiscale will never return if you break it once. When I use this team, I see myself keeping Dnite in the back to spam Outrages when resists are gone, or to clean up with Espeed. If you see a threat such as Mawile or Metagross, make sure to keep its Multiscale intact so that you have a last ditch answer to them. Besides that, this team isn't very difficult to use, and if you keep Rocks off your side of the field, you're pretty much set.
What to watch out for:
Mega Metagross
Holy damn is this a threat. When it is first brought in, you pretty much have to get a 50/50 right to not lose a mon. If it has Ice Punch, LandT gets obliterated. If it uses Zen Headbutt on the initial Gyara switch in, you will be 2HKO'ed slightly more than half of the time, so watch out. (You're safe after you can Intimidate it though.) Twave is also less seen on Gyara, so the opponent might stay in, letting you paralyze his Metagross and neutralize the threat. If he doesn't have Ice Punch, you can go into Lando, and make some fancy plays with doubling to Gyara to stack up the Intimidate and stuff. But overall, this is a really big threat, and hard to beat.
Mega Mawile
Yes, my team probably has the most checks to Mawile that you will see on any Monotype team. However, almost nothing switches in to this beast (LandT takes ~40% from one Play Rough), and it is going to get a couple kills. WoW on Char usually throws it off, as from my experience, they usually Sucker on your WoW. If they Play Rough, then you take a HUGE load (70-80%, assuming that they have a SD up), but then you can go into Lando and Gyara, stacking Intimidates and slowly wearing it down, neutralizing it.
Mega Diancie
Uh.....how do I beat this ?_? Literally the only checks I can think of on a Flying team are SpDef Skarm, which I am not very inclined to use, and SpDef Gliscor, which is slightly more viable. However, I couldn't fit in Gliscor just to take on a lesser seen mega, so I allowed my team to be weak to Diancie. Nothing switches in; it gets a kill every time it comes in. The only way you can really beat this thing is by preserving Dnite's Multiscale and killing it with an EQ, or keeping Lando healthy, as it lives one Moonblast and OHKO'es with EQ. Gyara also lives one -1 Diamond Storm, and does a good deal back with Waterfall, putting it in Espeed range from Dnite. Everything else is crushed by it, however.
Grass Knot Greninja
Not as big of a deal, since Gyara can live any non GK attack + GK, and Twave, and XZard can LO stall it, but I guess it can do some damage if they manage to get Rocks up on your field. Keep Gyara healthy, and keep rocks away from your side of the field, and you can win.
Replays:
Vs Psychic
Vs Steel
Vs Fairy
And that's the team! I've won many tours with this team, and used it to great success on the ladder, so I'm pretty sure that it's viable. Also,it being Flying the nature of this team makes it a lot easier to use with newer players. The bulkiness of the team eases predictions and you basically have to watch out for only one thing that isn't listed in the above: Stealth Rocks. I have seen beginners use it well and start to learn the meta/how to play Flying with it, so I decided it was worthy of putting on this thread.
Thank you for reading!
Monotype






Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 248 HP / 224 SpD / 36 Spe
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz
- Roost
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 27 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Waterfall
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Togekiss (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Air Slash
- Heal Bell
- Roost
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
- Discharge
- Toxic
- Defog
- Roost
Dragonite @ Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Outrage
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 248 HP / 224 SpD / 36 Spe
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz
- Roost
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 27 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Waterfall
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Togekiss (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Air Slash
- Heal Bell
- Roost
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
- Discharge
- Toxic
- Defog
- Roost
Dragonite @ Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Outrage
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
Intro: So I was just being my normal self, using generic Flying, when I realized that generic fly doesn't work as well as I thought. Gets smashed by Mega Medi, Mega Mawile, Bisharp, Greninja and a bunch of other garbage that I don't like to deal with. So I decided to make a team that strayed from generic flying and actually covered the entire meta (almost). Also, this team is great for beginners. My friend, who had hardly played with Flying at all, picked it up and used it to great success on the ladder. I'm almost certain that newer Monotype players will be able to quickly learn the meta with this team.
Teambuilding: Ok, don't kill me if I forgot a step here or there. I don't have the greatest memory. But I'll do my best. One thing I knew I needed to add was SpDef WoW Char X. It was way too good to pass up when you're trying to cover most of the metagame. It helps against Flying's weakness to Mawile, Bisharp, Genesect, and users of the BoltBeam combination. I chose Flare Blitz over Fire Punch so that I could wallbreak easier (this team has trouble stallbreaking) and so that I could potentially 2HKO Clefable after its Lefties got Knocked Off. Next, Lando-T was a great option. I needed a physical wall not named Skarm (way too passive, really couldn't do anything, was setup bait for anything with Taunt, etc.), since stray Stone Edge's really ruin my day. I opted for Knock Off over Stone Edge since Normal was such a hassle, and Stone Edge really only helped in Fly v Fly's, and maybe against Fire (Zard Y). Knock Off overall had much more utility, so I chose that. Mixed Defenses Gyarados was another odd addition that I needed to make. Without Skarm, Mega Meta became a gigantic threat (and Skarm wouldn't even help if they paired it with Mag Pull Magnezone, which for some reason I see a lot lately in Mono). The EV's give it enough bulk to avoid the 2HKO from LO Greninja's Ice Beam after Rocks, and doing the same for Intimidated Metagross's Zen Headbutt (I realize it has Clear Body pre-Mega, which is why it's such a threat to this team.) It also helps vs Mega Medicham and KyuW. Thunder Wave is for crippling said threats. Standard Zapdos was added on to help vs Elecs, and to provide a reliable Defogger. Togekiss was put for Lati@s, Dragons, and Heal Belling. Nasty Plot > Twave since I have Twave in Gyara, and it gives me a way to bypass Sableye and Slowbro (megas). It also is a great tool for stallbreaking. The last slot was a bit of a wild card, as I wasn't sure what to put here. I chose Banded Dnite so I could break through Normal monos (seriously, why is Chansey + P2 so hard to break), and Banded Espeed is just so good against Greninja's and other threats. And that was what made the team!
Why the team works: Simple. It doesn't die. There are very, very few mons, if any, that can break through a well built bulky Flying team. Nearly all threats that are prevalent in Monotype are covered in the core of LandT + Gyara + XZard, and then Zapdos/Togekiss gives me great utility and bulk to fall back on if necessary. Double Intimidate works wonders vs powerful Physical attackers, such as TTar and Terrakion. Toxic on Zapdos wears down annoying walls such as Gastro, Quag, and P2. Twave on Gyara cripples threats such as Metagross, Medicham, and KyuW. WoW nerfs monsters such as TTar and opposing LandT's, who think they have an easy switch into XZard. Triple status may seem odd, but in practice, it is extremely helpful. After the team has been worn down, more offensive teams get cleaned up by Banded Espeed, while bulkier teams get defeated by NP Heal Bell Togekiss. Overall, this team has two solid win cons, and just won't die.
How to play with this team: Play with this mostly how you'd play with balance/stall teams. It's not too hard to grasp, just switch in the counter to whatever threat the opponent sends out. If they send in TTar, go to Lando. If they send in Greninja, go to Gyara. Slowly wear the opponent down with Status and Rocks, and lategame, clean up with Togekiss/Dnite. Of course, your main priority when using this team, same as most Flying teams, is getting Rocks off of your side of the field. They will severely hamper chances of success, and make your team worn down in an instant. Zapdos is a reliable Defogger, but make sure to not let it get worn down. Also, don't be stupid and bring it in on every Rocker you see, such as TTar or Mamoswine. Bring it in safely on walls such as P2, Chansey, Gastro, Skarmory, Slowbro, etc. or on a U-Turn, to make sure that it can Defog safely. Also, keep in mind that with no Wish support, Dnite's Multiscale will never return if you break it once. When I use this team, I see myself keeping Dnite in the back to spam Outrages when resists are gone, or to clean up with Espeed. If you see a threat such as Mawile or Metagross, make sure to keep its Multiscale intact so that you have a last ditch answer to them. Besides that, this team isn't very difficult to use, and if you keep Rocks off your side of the field, you're pretty much set.
What to watch out for:
Mega Metagross
Holy damn is this a threat. When it is first brought in, you pretty much have to get a 50/50 right to not lose a mon. If it has Ice Punch, LandT gets obliterated. If it uses Zen Headbutt on the initial Gyara switch in, you will be 2HKO'ed slightly more than half of the time, so watch out. (You're safe after you can Intimidate it though.) Twave is also less seen on Gyara, so the opponent might stay in, letting you paralyze his Metagross and neutralize the threat. If he doesn't have Ice Punch, you can go into Lando, and make some fancy plays with doubling to Gyara to stack up the Intimidate and stuff. But overall, this is a really big threat, and hard to beat.
Mega Mawile
Yes, my team probably has the most checks to Mawile that you will see on any Monotype team. However, almost nothing switches in to this beast (LandT takes ~40% from one Play Rough), and it is going to get a couple kills. WoW on Char usually throws it off, as from my experience, they usually Sucker on your WoW. If they Play Rough, then you take a HUGE load (70-80%, assuming that they have a SD up), but then you can go into Lando and Gyara, stacking Intimidates and slowly wearing it down, neutralizing it.
Mega Diancie
Uh.....how do I beat this ?_? Literally the only checks I can think of on a Flying team are SpDef Skarm, which I am not very inclined to use, and SpDef Gliscor, which is slightly more viable. However, I couldn't fit in Gliscor just to take on a lesser seen mega, so I allowed my team to be weak to Diancie. Nothing switches in; it gets a kill every time it comes in. The only way you can really beat this thing is by preserving Dnite's Multiscale and killing it with an EQ, or keeping Lando healthy, as it lives one Moonblast and OHKO'es with EQ. Gyara also lives one -1 Diamond Storm, and does a good deal back with Waterfall, putting it in Espeed range from Dnite. Everything else is crushed by it, however.
Grass Knot Greninja
Not as big of a deal, since Gyara can live any non GK attack + GK, and Twave, and XZard can LO stall it, but I guess it can do some damage if they manage to get Rocks up on your field. Keep Gyara healthy, and keep rocks away from your side of the field, and you can win.
Replays:
Vs Psychic
Vs Steel
Vs Fairy
And that's the team! I've won many tours with this team, and used it to great success on the ladder, so I'm pretty sure that it's viable. Also,
Thank you for reading!
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