Introduction
One day, I was on Pokemon Online, laddering. I had been gone from battling for a while, so my score dropped quite a bit. It was only worsened by my playing... really crappy. I finally started to get some wins, and rose up somewhere in the top ten. Then I ended up against a certain chicken whose kicks are blazin'. Lost. Bah. I have yet to win against him (unless I played an alt and won without knowing it was him, but I don't think so). Well, he messaged me asking if I was the FlameSaber from Smogon. Indeed I was (is... am?).
He suggested that I should participate in the Smog Tour 7. Personally, I wasn't sure I was ready for a tournament, but thinking over it, it would be good chance to practice. To do some preparation, BKC had me try battling him with some of my teams. He noticed I make rather offensive teams, which is very true, but also that they tended to be a little weak to stall. WHAT. Vaporeon has always been my nemesis, but SkarmBliss and friends too? Not good. For some reason, I haven't faced too much stall, despite it being apparently popular, so that may have been why I hadn't noticed.
To remedy this, BKC thought I should try out making a team with SD Breeloom. Apparently, I suck at using Breloom. So, I went over and asked if he had any other suggestions for me to try out. He responded with Superachi! Oooh, Jirachi. He's one of my favorite Pokemon to use, though typically I'm found abusing flinch hax with Iron Head. So that's where we begin...
I've made a bit of a transition from my usual hyper-offense teams to a more balanced, or perhaps semi-stall function. I'm actually enjoying the laying of hazards, though I still have my attacking tendencies.
I realize the Tour is still going on, but I don't really mind posting this. I'm probably not going to amass too many points, and I'm doing it more for fun and experience than anything.
Some notable accomplishments I've had with this team:
-Peaking at #6 on the Smogon server on Pokemon Online under my alt, 炎サーベル. No idea how that happened.
-Winning against Faladran. I'm so proud of myself. /Shot.
So without further ado, Team: I'm Not Weak to Stall! ...Am I?
In Depth
Any changes are in bold.
"Flower Raid"
Roserade @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
-Spikes
-Energy Ball
-Hidden Power [Fire]
-Leech Seed
Flower Raid is a simple play on Roserade's name. Rose being a flower of course, and rade being homophonous with raid.
Roserade functions as my lead, and pairs pretty well with Heatran. Spikes are of course to damage grounded foes, and help Dragonite net some extra KOs. Energy Ball is chosen over Grass Knot because I hate Vaporeon. If there's a good reason I should use Grass Knot or Leaf Storm instead, I'll be plenty willing to change it. Hidden Power offers coverage against opposing Grass types, as well as Steels, particularly Scizor and Forretress. I used to have Rest for an instant, full recovery, but Leech Seed eventually got the nod, as it helps damage opposing Pokemon while simultaneously healing my own, and it can support the rest of the team. Not to mention it saps ginormous amounts of HP from Blissey.
The EV spread is the one listed on site. Max HP for general bulk, and those defense EVs are suppose to help it survive a Bullet Punch from Scizor. The rest is dumped into SpD to tank a few special hits.
I'm overall pretty happy with Roserade, except that it can't really take physical hits well. I'm considering trying out Skarmory or Forretress in this slot.
---
"Ironhide"
Heatran @ Passho Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Mild
EVs: 128 HP / 216 SpA / 164 Spe
-Stealth Rock
-Magma Storm
-Taunt
-Explosion
Ironhide is from Transformers. The Ironhide I'm most familiar with is the one from the original series, who is red, and Heatran's red. I also assume Heatran's hide has some iron in it, despite no defense EVs.
I admit, this is a rather unusual set. Its main focus, in addition to setting up Stealth Rock, is to eliminate water types and Blissey. I have Stealth Rock to set up Stealth Rock, obviously. Magma Storm is used to trap the said water types and Blissey that Heatran tends to lure in. If I've trapped a water type, I'll probably explode in their face, unless it's Vaporeon, who I'll likely taunt first. If Blissey, I taunt it, then Explode. If I catch something else, I'll probably switch to Dragonite or Rotom-W on the expected ground type attack. Without Blissey, stall often tends to fall apart, and without water types in the way, Dragonite often has an easier time sweeping
Honestly, I'm not sure what the HP EVs are for, they were just listed on-site, and I couldn't find an explanation. The Speed is to outspeed neutral nature Scizor, and the rest is dumped into Special Attack. I use a Mild nature so as to not reduce my attack stat.
Looking at its moves, it seems that special attack may be wasted, and I might as well dump those EVs into attack, or use a Snorlax with Whirlpool. Problem with Snorlax is that Vaporeon is immune to water. I'm thinking that I should probably change it to a more offensive, or support oriented set. I'd like to keep the Passo Berry and explosion, however. Or, I may just switch either Taunt or Stealth Rock with HP Electric.
---
"Starlightz"
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
-Hydro Pump
-Thunderbolt
-Ice Beam
-Rapid Spin
Starlightz as usual. Kinda named after the song Starlight. Kinda.
For my third straight RMT, LO Starmie makes an appearance. No, I don't use it on every single one of my teams, but I do use it a lot. And for good reason. Starmie hurts a lot with its Water/Electric/Ice coverage, and Rapid Spin helps to get rid of hazards, and puts pressure on stall and semi-stall teams. If Blissey and/or Snorlax has been removed, Starmie really gets to wreck stuff up.
EV spread is a standard offensive one.
Starmie doesn't really need a whole lot of explanation. It's awesome. I love it.
---
"Make a Wish"
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden Power [Ground]
Make a Wish, and Jirachi shall grant it.
Alright, Superachi! Calm Mind to set up with, of course. Psychic is for STAB, and Thunderbolt for coverage, as well as giving me a secondary Gyarados check. HP Ground eliminates Heatran, and provides a little additional coverage.
I used to have a Shuca Berry, but Jirachi outspeeds non-scarf Heatran anyway (as well as many other ground type attack users), and a Flygon is a free switch for Dragonite. Even if it U-turns, not a whole lot likes a MixNite in its face, and my entry hazards will take their toll. The leftovers were very nice for increasing Jirachi's longevity. I might still use a Shuca though, for things like offensive Gyarados, or Gliscor (which I don't think I OHKO, but I'm not sure).
The EVs are standard offensive.
It's actually kinda surprising how easily he sets up. Jirachi isn't particularly powerful, and his coverage isn't the greatest, but what he really excels at is luring out certain Pokemon, and taking them out, or giving a free switch to a teammate. However, thanks to his great typing, and good bulk, he actually has pretty good staying power, so he can setup multiple Calm Minds and also go ahead and sweep.
---
"D-Nite"
Dragonite @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Mild
EVs: 56 Atk / 252 SpA / 200 Spe
-Draco Meteor
-Fire Blast
-Superpower
-ExtremeSpeed / Roost
Not a very creative nickname. I'm not entirely sure why I chose it. Especially when I could use something like "TheDarkNite". Of course, he's not very dark, but still.
Draco Meteor hits like a... meteor. Not a lot is going to want to sponge that up. Fire Blast is fore coverage against steels. I don't mind the accuracy loss over Flamethrower, as the OHKO on Specially Defensive Skarmory is far more important. Superpower is for hitting Blissey, Tyranitar and Heatran hard. Normally I use ExtremeSpeed to finish of Starmie and Gyarados that could be dangerous. Roost is nice for keeping Dragonite healthy, though.
Max SpA to hit as hard as possible with Draco Meteor, and 200 Speed to outspeed max speed, positive nature Tyranitar, as well as the things trying to outspeed it. The rest is put into attack. Thanks to Spikes and Stealth Rock support, Dragonite can OHKO 252/252 HP/Def Blissey, so I don't really need extra attack.
Dragonite is an excellent mixed attacker. I did not really think to try it before, as it didn't really threaten most of my teams, so I had no idea how awesome it was. I might yet have found something to fill the void in my heart left by Salamence.
---
"Swirlz"
Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
-Hydro Pump
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden Power [Ice] / Shadow Ball
-Trick
Have you ever watched a washing machine? It's better than some TV shows!
Hydro Pump is Wash form's exclusive move, and its got great neutral coverage, and hits Tyranitar super effectively. Thunderbolt is for STAB, and taking out Gyarados in particular. I usually have HP Ice for Dragons, even Scarf Flygon, who this Rotom can take an Outrage from. Shadow Ball provides nice coverage against opposing Ghosts, however. Trick is used to cripple walls, and setup sweepers.
Credits to BKC for the EV spread, unless someone else came up with it. o_o 252 HP for general bulk, 216 Spe out outspeed +1 Jolly Gyarados, and the rest is thrown in defense. I might consider maxing Spe for tying with
This Rotom-W has worked out very nicely. It sometimes can be a little tough for more offensive that utilize multiple hazards to fit Rotom-A in a slot. The typical Scarf variant is too easily KO'd, and the bulky variant doesn't provide much additional offensive power. This meets them somewhere in the middle, and quite well. The Scarf lets it revenge threats, while the bulk prevents it from being removed to easily.
---
Considerations
Threats, changes, that stuff.
-I'm not sure how it happened, but my only physical attacks on this team are Heatran's Explosion, Dragonite's Superpower and ExtremeSpeed, and Starmie's Rapid Spin. Obviously, Blissey could be an issue. However, between Leech Seed, Trick, Superpower, and Explosion, I think I can manage.
-As mentioned, I'm planning on trying out Forretress and Skarmory each in Roserade's spot. Both provide better bulk, and extra Steel types are nice to have.
-With Forretress over Roserade in the lead spot, I'm thinking of giving Starmie either Recover, or another coverage move. Or, possibly slotting something like Shaymin or Suicune over it. This would also free Heatran of using Stealth Rock, so I can get a coverage move in.
In Close
I really have to give a special thanks BKC for a lot of the ideas for this team. Pretty much half of it has some influence from him.
Well, that's it.
I realize that this team is very specially lopsided. Therefore, the removal of Blissey or any special walls is often the first priority. Once that's done however, few other things can take repeated, strong special hits. But if this team is weak to stall at all, I swear...
Well, regardless of that, I hope this was a pleasant read, and thanks very much for any rates!
One day, I was on Pokemon Online, laddering. I had been gone from battling for a while, so my score dropped quite a bit. It was only worsened by my playing... really crappy. I finally started to get some wins, and rose up somewhere in the top ten. Then I ended up against a certain chicken whose kicks are blazin'. Lost. Bah. I have yet to win against him (unless I played an alt and won without knowing it was him, but I don't think so). Well, he messaged me asking if I was the FlameSaber from Smogon. Indeed I was (is... am?).
He suggested that I should participate in the Smog Tour 7. Personally, I wasn't sure I was ready for a tournament, but thinking over it, it would be good chance to practice. To do some preparation, BKC had me try battling him with some of my teams. He noticed I make rather offensive teams, which is very true, but also that they tended to be a little weak to stall. WHAT. Vaporeon has always been my nemesis, but SkarmBliss and friends too? Not good. For some reason, I haven't faced too much stall, despite it being apparently popular, so that may have been why I hadn't noticed.
To remedy this, BKC thought I should try out making a team with SD Breeloom. Apparently, I suck at using Breloom. So, I went over and asked if he had any other suggestions for me to try out. He responded with Superachi! Oooh, Jirachi. He's one of my favorite Pokemon to use, though typically I'm found abusing flinch hax with Iron Head. So that's where we begin...
Obviously, I started with Superachi!
With HP Ground, and a Shuca Berry, it was supposedly good at luring and KOing the likes of Heatran and Flygon. Okay. Anything enjoys Heatran KO'd, right? Grass types like Shaymin and Celebi obviously stood out, and I guess Flygon's U-turn would threaten them as well, but for some reason, I wasn't thinking of that. What I was thinking of was how Flygon was a problem for Dragon Dancers, like Kingdra, Gyarados, and Dragonite. Apparently Hetran also checked Dragonite. Not sure how that worked... ScarfTran? Well, whatever, I went with Dragonite.
Dragonite doesn't appreciate Stealthy Rocks digging into him. What he does appreciate is Rapid Spin support to remove said hazard. Who better than the ever-amazing Starmie?
On the other side of the battlefield, Dragonite loves entry hazards plaguing his opponents. I went with a Spikes Roserade + Heatran combo. Both also provide useful resistances, and lure many an Earthquake for Dragonite to switch into.
Finally, I needed a revenge killer, as well as spin blocker. Rotom-A was easily capable of both. I went with the Wash variant.
Hunh, that actually was pretty short.
With HP Ground, and a Shuca Berry, it was supposedly good at luring and KOing the likes of Heatran and Flygon. Okay. Anything enjoys Heatran KO'd, right? Grass types like Shaymin and Celebi obviously stood out, and I guess Flygon's U-turn would threaten them as well, but for some reason, I wasn't thinking of that. What I was thinking of was how Flygon was a problem for Dragon Dancers, like Kingdra, Gyarados, and Dragonite. Apparently Hetran also checked Dragonite. Not sure how that worked... ScarfTran? Well, whatever, I went with Dragonite.
Dragonite doesn't appreciate Stealthy Rocks digging into him. What he does appreciate is Rapid Spin support to remove said hazard. Who better than the ever-amazing Starmie?
On the other side of the battlefield, Dragonite loves entry hazards plaguing his opponents. I went with a Spikes Roserade + Heatran combo. Both also provide useful resistances, and lure many an Earthquake for Dragonite to switch into.
Finally, I needed a revenge killer, as well as spin blocker. Rotom-A was easily capable of both. I went with the Wash variant.
Hunh, that actually was pretty short.
I've made a bit of a transition from my usual hyper-offense teams to a more balanced, or perhaps semi-stall function. I'm actually enjoying the laying of hazards, though I still have my attacking tendencies.
I realize the Tour is still going on, but I don't really mind posting this. I'm probably not going to amass too many points, and I'm doing it more for fun and experience than anything.
Some notable accomplishments I've had with this team:
-Peaking at #6 on the Smogon server on Pokemon Online under my alt, 炎サーベル. No idea how that happened.
-Winning against Faladran. I'm so proud of myself. /Shot.
So without further ado, Team: I'm Not Weak to Stall! ...Am I?
In Depth
Any changes are in bold.
"Flower Raid"
Roserade @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
-Spikes
-Energy Ball
-Hidden Power [Fire]
-Leech Seed
Flower Raid is a simple play on Roserade's name. Rose being a flower of course, and rade being homophonous with raid.
Roserade functions as my lead, and pairs pretty well with Heatran. Spikes are of course to damage grounded foes, and help Dragonite net some extra KOs. Energy Ball is chosen over Grass Knot because I hate Vaporeon. If there's a good reason I should use Grass Knot or Leaf Storm instead, I'll be plenty willing to change it. Hidden Power offers coverage against opposing Grass types, as well as Steels, particularly Scizor and Forretress. I used to have Rest for an instant, full recovery, but Leech Seed eventually got the nod, as it helps damage opposing Pokemon while simultaneously healing my own, and it can support the rest of the team. Not to mention it saps ginormous amounts of HP from Blissey.
The EV spread is the one listed on site. Max HP for general bulk, and those defense EVs are suppose to help it survive a Bullet Punch from Scizor. The rest is dumped into SpD to tank a few special hits.
I'm overall pretty happy with Roserade, except that it can't really take physical hits well. I'm considering trying out Skarmory or Forretress in this slot.
---
"Ironhide"
Heatran @ Passho Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Mild
EVs: 128 HP / 216 SpA / 164 Spe
-Stealth Rock
-Magma Storm
-Taunt
-Explosion
Ironhide is from Transformers. The Ironhide I'm most familiar with is the one from the original series, who is red, and Heatran's red. I also assume Heatran's hide has some iron in it, despite no defense EVs.
I admit, this is a rather unusual set. Its main focus, in addition to setting up Stealth Rock, is to eliminate water types and Blissey. I have Stealth Rock to set up Stealth Rock, obviously. Magma Storm is used to trap the said water types and Blissey that Heatran tends to lure in. If I've trapped a water type, I'll probably explode in their face, unless it's Vaporeon, who I'll likely taunt first. If Blissey, I taunt it, then Explode. If I catch something else, I'll probably switch to Dragonite or Rotom-W on the expected ground type attack. Without Blissey, stall often tends to fall apart, and without water types in the way, Dragonite often has an easier time sweeping
Honestly, I'm not sure what the HP EVs are for, they were just listed on-site, and I couldn't find an explanation. The Speed is to outspeed neutral nature Scizor, and the rest is dumped into Special Attack. I use a Mild nature so as to not reduce my attack stat.
Looking at its moves, it seems that special attack may be wasted, and I might as well dump those EVs into attack, or use a Snorlax with Whirlpool. Problem with Snorlax is that Vaporeon is immune to water. I'm thinking that I should probably change it to a more offensive, or support oriented set. I'd like to keep the Passo Berry and explosion, however. Or, I may just switch either Taunt or Stealth Rock with HP Electric.
---
"Starlightz"
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
-Hydro Pump
-Thunderbolt
-Ice Beam
-Rapid Spin
Starlightz as usual. Kinda named after the song Starlight. Kinda.
For my third straight RMT, LO Starmie makes an appearance. No, I don't use it on every single one of my teams, but I do use it a lot. And for good reason. Starmie hurts a lot with its Water/Electric/Ice coverage, and Rapid Spin helps to get rid of hazards, and puts pressure on stall and semi-stall teams. If Blissey and/or Snorlax has been removed, Starmie really gets to wreck stuff up.
EV spread is a standard offensive one.
Starmie doesn't really need a whole lot of explanation. It's awesome. I love it.
---
"Make a Wish"
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden Power [Ground]
Make a Wish, and Jirachi shall grant it.
Alright, Superachi! Calm Mind to set up with, of course. Psychic is for STAB, and Thunderbolt for coverage, as well as giving me a secondary Gyarados check. HP Ground eliminates Heatran, and provides a little additional coverage.
I used to have a Shuca Berry, but Jirachi outspeeds non-scarf Heatran anyway (as well as many other ground type attack users), and a Flygon is a free switch for Dragonite. Even if it U-turns, not a whole lot likes a MixNite in its face, and my entry hazards will take their toll. The leftovers were very nice for increasing Jirachi's longevity. I might still use a Shuca though, for things like offensive Gyarados, or Gliscor (which I don't think I OHKO, but I'm not sure).
The EVs are standard offensive.
It's actually kinda surprising how easily he sets up. Jirachi isn't particularly powerful, and his coverage isn't the greatest, but what he really excels at is luring out certain Pokemon, and taking them out, or giving a free switch to a teammate. However, thanks to his great typing, and good bulk, he actually has pretty good staying power, so he can setup multiple Calm Minds and also go ahead and sweep.
---
"D-Nite"
Dragonite @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Mild
EVs: 56 Atk / 252 SpA / 200 Spe
-Draco Meteor
-Fire Blast
-Superpower
-ExtremeSpeed / Roost
Not a very creative nickname. I'm not entirely sure why I chose it. Especially when I could use something like "TheDarkNite". Of course, he's not very dark, but still.
Draco Meteor hits like a... meteor. Not a lot is going to want to sponge that up. Fire Blast is fore coverage against steels. I don't mind the accuracy loss over Flamethrower, as the OHKO on Specially Defensive Skarmory is far more important. Superpower is for hitting Blissey, Tyranitar and Heatran hard. Normally I use ExtremeSpeed to finish of Starmie and Gyarados that could be dangerous. Roost is nice for keeping Dragonite healthy, though.
Max SpA to hit as hard as possible with Draco Meteor, and 200 Speed to outspeed max speed, positive nature Tyranitar, as well as the things trying to outspeed it. The rest is put into attack. Thanks to Spikes and Stealth Rock support, Dragonite can OHKO 252/252 HP/Def Blissey, so I don't really need extra attack.
Dragonite is an excellent mixed attacker. I did not really think to try it before, as it didn't really threaten most of my teams, so I had no idea how awesome it was. I might yet have found something to fill the void in my heart left by Salamence.
---
"Swirlz"
Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
-Hydro Pump
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden Power [Ice] / Shadow Ball
-Trick
Have you ever watched a washing machine? It's better than some TV shows!
Hydro Pump is Wash form's exclusive move, and its got great neutral coverage, and hits Tyranitar super effectively. Thunderbolt is for STAB, and taking out Gyarados in particular. I usually have HP Ice for Dragons, even Scarf Flygon, who this Rotom can take an Outrage from. Shadow Ball provides nice coverage against opposing Ghosts, however. Trick is used to cripple walls, and setup sweepers.
Credits to BKC for the EV spread, unless someone else came up with it. o_o 252 HP for general bulk, 216 Spe out outspeed +1 Jolly Gyarados, and the rest is thrown in defense. I might consider maxing Spe for tying with
This Rotom-W has worked out very nicely. It sometimes can be a little tough for more offensive that utilize multiple hazards to fit Rotom-A in a slot. The typical Scarf variant is too easily KO'd, and the bulky variant doesn't provide much additional offensive power. This meets them somewhere in the middle, and quite well. The Scarf lets it revenge threats, while the bulk prevents it from being removed to easily.
---
Considerations
Threats, changes, that stuff.
-I'm not sure how it happened, but my only physical attacks on this team are Heatran's Explosion, Dragonite's Superpower and ExtremeSpeed, and Starmie's Rapid Spin. Obviously, Blissey could be an issue. However, between Leech Seed, Trick, Superpower, and Explosion, I think I can manage.
-As mentioned, I'm planning on trying out Forretress and Skarmory each in Roserade's spot. Both provide better bulk, and extra Steel types are nice to have.
-With Forretress over Roserade in the lead spot, I'm thinking of giving Starmie either Recover, or another coverage move. Or, possibly slotting something like Shaymin or Suicune over it. This would also free Heatran of using Stealth Rock, so I can get a coverage move in.
In Close
I really have to give a special thanks BKC for a lot of the ideas for this team. Pretty much half of it has some influence from him.
Well, that's it.
I realize that this team is very specially lopsided. Therefore, the removal of Blissey or any special walls is often the first priority. Once that's done however, few other things can take repeated, strong special hits. But if this team is weak to stall at all, I swear...
Well, regardless of that, I hope this was a pleasant read, and thanks very much for any rates!
![Requiem[9]](/forums/media/data/avatars/m/38/38887.jpg?1514734517){kind=avatar}
