Electrolyte
Wouldn't Wanna Know
BW2 is here, and what better way to test out the new meta-game than to make an unusual team? This is my first RMT, though I have been around on the forums for a long time and have quite a lot of experience battling. Not so long ago, a friend of mine challenged me to make a team full of choice users- that's right, not one of my pokemon are allowed to have an item other than a choice scarf, choice band, or choice specs. That means that there will always be threats that counter some, or even most of my team. My goal is not to make a solid full fledged team, because I know you can only go so far with a team of 6 choicers, but I want my team to be able to cover as much as possible. Here's where you guys come in!
Meet the team:
As you can see, I went with a standard rain team, with Volt-turn as a core, because hit+run is probably the best strategy for a team like this. This team works well despite it's 'disadvantage'- I reached a ranking of 1730 on the OU PS ladder. Latios and Rotom-W can Trick away their items and cripple walls that bother me, though this tactic does not fare as well against people that are experienced battlers.
THE TEAM:
Politoed @ Choice Scarf
Timid Nature (+ Spe, -Atk)
252 Sp Atk, 4 Sp Def, 252 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Focus Blast
~Perish Song
~Ice Beam
Some people think that Politoed is useless for things other than setting up rain. I disagree. Slapping on a Choice Scarf, Politoed becomes a great revenge killer, and though it only tops 262 Speed as a max, he still barely outspeeds a large portion of the metagame- 32 EV+Bold Wish CM Jirachi and 72 EV SubStall Gliscor to name a few. Rain boosted Hydro Pump deals massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it; it does 90-110% to Physically Defensive Skarmory and 92-108% to Specs Tornadus. Ice beam OHKO's Salamence, Gliscor, and deals 50% to Multiscale Dragonite. Focus Blast hits steel types hard, dealing 44-52% to Standard Ferrothorn. Hidden Power Grass rounds off but hitting Jellicent, but it's rarely used because Jellicent is easily handled by other team members.
Thundurus-Therian @ Choice Specs
Timid Nature
4 HP, 252 Sp Atk, 252 Spe
~Thunder
~Volt Switch
~Focus Blast
~Hidden Power Ice
Thundurus-T is a great rain sweeper, firing Specs boosted Thunders just like he did in BW1, this time with much greater power. His ability is great too, as it helps the team cover its other-wise troubling electric weakness. Volt Switch is to keep momentum on my side, and Focus Blast is to hit steel types. Hidden Power Ice is to hit other Thundurus-T switch ins for 75% damage.
Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Timid Nature
4 HP, 252 Sp Atk, 252 Spe
~Volt Switch
~Thunder
~Trick
~Hydro Pump
Rotom-W is my lead, though I don't put him in the front of the list. Many people assume that weather players will always lead with their weather inducer, and they will throw in a counter to Politoed (such as Amoonguss). I start with Rotom-W and Trick the counter a Scarf, crippling it for the rest of the match and opening up room for Thundy and Latios. If I don't face a wall, I just Volt Switch out to a proper counter. Thunder and Hydro Pump are the main STABs, each hitting different targets but dealing massive damage either way. Rotom's trick is very essential to this team, because it helps against stall, which would otherwise Protect me to death while I fruitlessly try to Volt Switch out.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Adamant Nature
248 HP, 252 Atk, 8 Sp Def
~Bullet Punch
~U-turn/Bug Bite?
~Pursuit
~Superpower
The only physical attacker on the team, but he sure can hold his place. He is the second revenge killer of the team, hitting boosted foes with Bullet Punch and eliminating them. With U-turn, he completes the switching core, and with Pursuit, he can play endless mindgames with psychic types that give me trouble. Superpower is for hitting the ever rare Magnezone, which I have not encountered as much. Scizor's typing is great too, allowing it to tank many hits for its frailer team members.
Keldeo-R @ Choice Specs
Timid Nature
4 HP, 252 Sp Atk, 252 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Secret Sword
~Hidden power Ghost
~Icy Wind
A valuable member of the team; this death pony usually comes in late-game and sweeps for the win. With specs, this cute little guy transforms into a hard hitting tank, scoring many kills with its Specs boosted, STAB boosted, and Rain boosted Hydro Pump, which is the strongest attack on my team. Secret Sword is another thing that makes this pony so great; it OHKO's Blissey and Chansey, clearing the way for Latios and Thundy. Hidden power Ghost is used to hit Jellicent and Latias, though it doesn't do much damage. The last move is focus blast- I use it if a want a bit more power, but its miss factor is really annoying. I'm sure all of you can connect to that.
Latios @ Choice Specs
Timid Nature (+Spe -Atk)
4 HP, 252 Sp Atk, 252 Spe
~Draco Meteor
~Surf
~Psyshock
~Trick
The final member of the team, Latios is my Kamikaze. It switches in, fires a Specs boosted Draco Meteor or Surf, and just stays in until it dies or until I think it's done enough damage. Psyshock hits Blissey and Chansey hard, though it doesn't OHKO like Secret Sword does. Trick cripples steel type switch-ins, because I don't have HP fire and nothing will even scarf them. Once Latios's Specs have been Tricked away, I play him much more conservitavely, holding off Draco Meteor until I have to use it and spamming Surf and Psyshock much more. As a Dragon type, his numerous resistances also helps the team tank hits.
COUNTERS:
~Jirachi. No, not the paraflincher that most people are afraid of, but the SubCM set. At +2, it takes almost nothing from anybody, and I can't trick it because it's usually behind a substitute.
~Volcorona. Quiver Dance shits all over me, especially because it outspeeds my whole entire team at +1. Keldeo can kind of handle it, but if it gets too many boosts I'm dead.
~Amoonguss. It tanks hits so well, and unless I Trick it something, it can wall my team to no end. Can't believe it's not OU.
~Jolteon. It outspeeds my team, and can selectively KO every single one of them with Thunder or HP Ice.
~Set up sweepers in general. My plan of attack for these pokemon are to either Trick them something or eliminate them before they set up too much. Scizor helps a lot, but without Scizor I don't function too well against these guys.
~Hazards. This one is so-so, it's a bit annoying but doesn't really alter my matches that much (mainly because not many people use them anymore). I don't have a spinner, and I frequently switch out, so I start to rack on a ton of damage after a while.
IDEAS:
~I would like to not use rain. Someone on PS suggested Sand for me, and I haven't tried it yet. I prefer not to use weather in general, but it seems as if it's a must for this team.
~Volt-Turn I would also like to ditch. It's such an effective strategy for this team, but I still hate it. It makes me so weak to stall teams.
TESTING
~Specs Starmie
~Banded Mamoswine
~Specs Jolteon
So there you have it. That's my team. I know it's not perfect, so I'm asking you guys for your opinions. Please, try to give suggested pokemon a choice item. If it doesn't have one, I most likely will not use that suggested pokemon. Thanks for reading!
Please, try out the team!
EXPORTABLE
Politoed @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SAtk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Thundurus-Therian @ Choice Specs
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Thunder
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Rotom-Wash @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Spd / 0 Atk
- Trick
- Volt Switch
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
Keldeo-Resolution @ Choice Specs
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SDef / 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Ghost]
- Focus Blast
Latios @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Trick
- Psyshock
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SAtk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Thundurus-Therian @ Choice Specs
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Thunder
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Rotom-Wash @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Spd / 0 Atk
- Trick
- Volt Switch
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
Keldeo-Resolution @ Choice Specs
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SDef / 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Ghost]
- Focus Blast
Latios @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Trick
- Psyshock