Trapping always has been looked upon with a certain mania in one's eyes. The thought of ensuring the fall of nearly any of your opponent's Pokemon is a sweet concept that almost any player worth their salt has at least attempted to use. However, bitter reality sets in as they all realize that very few Pokemon are capable of reliably trapping other Pokemon. In LC in particular, there are only three remotely usable Pokemon that may work: Gothita, Wynaut, and Diglett. In Diglett's case, it has issues with power and has weak coverage. It also cannot trap Levitating Pokemon, and just overall traps and beats little. In Wynaut's case, it lacks the ability to assert any sort of offensive pressure in the normal sense. Rather, it pressures very slow Pokemon into attacking IT, making it an effective wallbreaker, but a subpar Pokemon to abuse on most offensive teams. Gothita however, is a different alternative altogether: It's slow, somewhat weak, but it has great coverage. It's able to maintain offensive pressure in many scenarios, but only against teams that it's tailored to beat. For example, Scarf won't really be as useful against stall as say, the CM Restalk set (which imo is perhaps one of the best stallbreakers in existence). But either way, it definitely has the potential to shine brightly on a variety of different teams, as being capable of being a near sure-fire way of eliminating a variety of Pokemon is an asset that teams of any style can appreciate.
With all that in mind, I decided to take LC's most common playstyle, being offense, to pair with Gothita. As LC's chock full of devastating sweepers, it only seemed natural that my first Gothita team would be particularly aggressive.
Team Construction
Starting off with Gothita is the obvious step. However, I wanted to pair it up with one of the most devastating sweepers, a Pokemon that is flexible enough to provide some degree of support that Gothita may benefit from. I wanted it to be capable of smashing through stall as easily as possible, as it's the most common playstyle that Scarf Gothita would have trouble against (If it's going to be aggressive, Scarf Goth is in all likelihood the best set to run). Swords Dance Pawniard is easily one of the most threatening sweepers in the post-Missy era, not just by having access to a hella strong Knock Off, but STAB Sucker Punch for picking off fast threats, and Iron Head for demolishing anything else.
Next, I wanted a good stop to a lot of sweepers, while still being able to maintain momentum and push with offensive pressure. Fletchling is probably the only Pokemon in this metagame capable of doing that, with its priority Acrobatics being able to maul a good portion of set up sweepers. It's also perhaps the BEST lategame cleaner, being able to boost itself with a Swords Dance. As a bonus it has U-Turn, which won't just provide possible chip damage for Gothita, but will allow Gothita to deal with the opponent's answer to Fletchling as efficiently as possible.
tl;dr muh synergy
With all that in mind, I needed something to soak up hits, check opposing Chou, Magnemite, and Fletch, while still supporting the team with chip damage. Chinchou fits the bill extremely well. It's got the bulk, the chip damage in the ever abusable Scald and Volt Switch, and as a bonus, the ability to absorb status. Chinchou is unquestionably the best pivot in the game right now, and further provides more places for Goth to come in and just beat down whatever my opponent was going to answer with.
What next? Stall is still a big concern, as typically most teams might be able to wear down Pawniard. I needed a good wallbreaker, something that could crack a decent amount of Pokemon, while still being able to rip through common attackers. Gastly and Abra both came to mind, but honestly I wasn't too fond of Abra's difficulty with smashing Spritzee. It doesn't really force as many switches out as it used to either, which makes it a bit more difficult to abuse, or even pair up. However, Gastly's THE Pokemon for luring stuff like Pawniard, abusing Sub, ect just because it's got such great resistances and threatens walls a lot more than Abra. I also wanted a better Ziggy check than Evio Pawniard, because I don't want to place the sweeper the team is based around in that position.
Now, anyone paying enough attention is going to ask "Hey Boo, where's your Fighting-type?" Quite honestly, I didn't really see the need of a Fighting type in this team. Sure, Pawniard #rekts my shit up, but I'm actually more concerned with late game shenanigans, as my team's focus was to break down the opponent. I wanted to have a back-up plan, something that could be my answer to whatever I need at that time. It needed to be something that could stand alone, unhindered by any lack of support by the rest of the team, but something that could also support it in a time of need. Stuff like Bunnelby, Sash Abra, and even Aipom didn't really appeal to me, because they weren't the sort of unstoppable juggernaut that I was looking for. I looked at some HO teams for a bit of inspiration, and it was in Rowan's and Apt-Get's shared RMT that I found what I needed. I'm going to take some time to shout out to The Best Defense Is A Great Offense! for pointing out Scraggy, an old time favourite from the Krowtite era that not only fulfills all of my requirements, but works as a Pawniard check and supports with Knock Off!
Here's that team (which has been criminally overlooked for the RMT Archive/Showcase): http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/the-best-defense-is-a-good-offense-co-op-rmt.3509137/
But, enough about that team, here's the one you all came here for:
Hunnicutt (Pawniard) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
It seems weird to say this, since Goth is obviously the focus of the team, but Pawniard is really what the team is based around, trying to facilitate a Pawniard sweep with the aid of Gothita. Pawniard's a massive force to be reckoned with, having strongass priority, and backed by an even more strongass Knock Off. Pawniard pairs so well with Gothita, as both work together to cover the primary issues of the other. Pawniard lures the Fighting types and such which threaten it, only for Gothita to come in and take them out of the game. When I first made this team, I had felt that stall was going to be an even bigger threat than before, and so I wanted to use a sweeper that also posed a substancial threat. As something which threatens defensive and offensive teams, it's definitely the perfect focal point to use.
Hawkeye (Fletchling)
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 200 Atk / 92 Def / 40 SpA / 20 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Acrobatics
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Swords Dance
Ah, Fletchling. Most people that have played me know about the love-hate relationship I have with this bird. I unsuccessfully pushed for its ban last test because I feel it's this little bugger that's been staling up the metagame. Yet, I seem to use it on every single one of my teams because it's fun to use. Anyways, Fletch operates as it has always done so, acting as a secondary sweeper, a primary cleaner, and a revenge killer. Fletchling's U-Turn support is phenomenal with Gothita, as really any benefit just comes back to Fletchling as Gothita removes the check. Fletchling's got additional uses, from being an occasional receiver of the stray Knock Off. to luring annoying shit like Omanyte and Tirtouga.
Klinger (Gothita) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SpA / 28 SpD / 240 Spe
Modest Nature
- Psychic
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
Do I really need to say anything? Goth is the obvious star of the team. She's what takes all that momentum-grabbing support, and transfigures them into kills. Pokemon like BJ Archen, Timburr, Mienfoo, Chinchou, and oh so much more find themselves in the position of being unable to do anything but die. I'm not going to keep talking about Gothita, because most of this thread is just hyping it. So, here's some incoherent ramblings I wrote about it at 4 am on 125mgs of Seroquel:
http://pastebin.com/EWGuey0U
Charles (Chinchou) @ Eviolite
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 212 Def / 152 SpA / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Scald
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Thing about Chinchou is that it's hard to talk about it without just going over the obvious. It's the defensive Pokemon I fall back on if I need to pivot. It absorbs status and switches around as any good pivot does so I don't have my whole team implode. It provides handy chip damage versus many switch ins, through either Scald or Volt Switch, which cater to different needs of the team. I realize my EVs are outdated as hell, but these were always the ones I've felt most comfortable using, and I probably won't switch unless someone gives me a way better spread.
Potter (Scraggy) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 60 SpD / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- High Jump Kick
- Poison Jab
- Zen Headbutt
Scarf Scraggy is a juggernaut. It's blazed through many unprepared teams, gaining momentum too damn quickly. It puts me in a perfect position in the lategame as a cleaner, and it just overall kicks ass. That being said, I'm massively SS Tirt weak and Scraggy's my weakest link, so I'm really considering swapping it out for Timburr or something (hell, even Pancham looks viable lol).
Houlihan (Gastly) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 108 Def / 200 SpA / 200 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Sludge Bomb
Gastly, that gaseous ball of wonder. It's beautiful, a true work of art. It's my primary wallbreaker (does Pawniard really count when I'm trying to sweep with it? Thought not) before good ol' Pawn comes in. Gastly's got the raw strength to break down my opponent's walls, but it also has ease in forcing switches, giving it a turn to set up Substitute and subsequently dismantle said switch. Gastly also acts as my check to those major Pokemon that threaten the entire team, like Zigzagoon and Bunnelby. Imo it's one of the best people to use in this meta right now. It isn't because it fills the void Misdreavus once occupied, but because it hits so damn hard with such great STABs. Gastly's shared weakness to Pursuit allows my next switch in to usually try grabbing back lost momentum should Gastly find itself trapped.
Oh, and the Substitute mindgames against Pawniards are fun to play. Nobody likes losing their Pawn to a Pokemon it's supposed to check ^_^
So yeah, that's my team.
Also I named my Pokemon after MASH characters. Deal with it.
Importable:
Hunnicutt (Pawniard) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Hawkeye (Fletchling)
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 200 Atk / 92 Def / 40 SpA / 20 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Acrobatics
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Swords Dance
Klinger (Gothita) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SpA / 28 SpD / 240 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Psychic
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
Charles (Chinchou) @ Eviolite
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 212 Def / 152 SpA / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Scald
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Potter (Scraggy) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 60 SpD / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- High Jump Kick
- Poison Jab
- Zen Headbutt
Houlihan (Gastly) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 108 Def / 200 SpA / 200 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Sludge Bomb
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Hawkeye (Fletchling)
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 200 Atk / 92 Def / 40 SpA / 20 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Acrobatics
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Swords Dance
Klinger (Gothita) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SpA / 28 SpD / 240 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Psychic
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
Charles (Chinchou) @ Eviolite
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 212 Def / 152 SpA / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Scald
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Potter (Scraggy) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 60 SpD / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- High Jump Kick
- Poison Jab
- Zen Headbutt
Houlihan (Gastly) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 108 Def / 200 SpA / 200 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Sludge Bomb
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