A Double Doubles RMT / 5K / Farewell thread by Arcticblast
Hey guys, what's up? To make a long story short (temporarily), this is my 5k thread. I'm posting two teams here because I couldn't pick one. Also I'm quitting Smogon. So let's just get on with the thread.
The two teams I'm posting are both teams from SPL. They're also the two teams that originally weren't built for that purpose - one was for the Drop An Uber minitour at first and the other came out of a discussion on Mega Heracross in the Doubles PS room. They've seen some action in the Doubles Circuit too (I know I gave them to SoulWind, probably some other people) and I used them to ladder for reqs on the suspect ladders. I haven't been able to build any other really good teams since SPL*, but it turns out I barely needed to since these ones did so well.
*I built some okay ones, both dickriding one of the near-broken Megas
---Week 6 - "Arcticsurfer"---
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This team was used in week 6 against Audiosurfer - where I'd argue I "peaked" in SPL. This was my last real win, whether or not it was due to hax (vs. Laurel doesn't count, I used a joke team). The "teambuilding process" was pretty much a sham and I don't remember much of it in the first place, but let's just get to the point:
So I was like "Groudon is allowed in this round of the minitour, LET'S SMASH SHIT" and started with LO Kyurem-B and LO Groudon"
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At that point I did something and took makiri's advice to couple Groudon with Char-Y and came up with this.
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I don't know either.
Anyway, when it came time to build a team for SPL, I remembered Char-Y and Kyurem-B working pretty well together and decided to sort of base my new team off of that one. I replaced some stuff with other stuff and came up with this:
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I did a test match against makiri and he swept me with a Belly Drum Azumarill. Naturally, I freaked the fuck out and ditched Cresselia for Amoonguss.
At that point I did something and took makiri's advice to couple Groudon with Char-Y and came up with this.
I don't know either.
Anyway, when it came time to build a team for SPL, I remembered Char-Y and Kyurem-B working pretty well together and decided to sort of base my new team off of that one. I replaced some stuff with other stuff and came up with this:
I did a test match against makiri and he swept me with a Belly Drum Azumarill. Naturally, I freaked the fuck out and ditched Cresselia for Amoonguss.
Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Solar Beam
- Overheat
- Protect
Let's go Pokedex order on this shit.
Mega Charizard Y is pretty incredible. It brought Sun offense from "pretty much nonexistent" to "damn good" in a single generation with Drought and its ability to delay its activation. And that's to say nothing of its sheer damage output under the Sun - just take a look at this.
252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Cresselia in Sun: 324-382 (72.9 - 86%)
Yeah, shit's dying.
Char-Y is typically used to deal out massive damage at a moment's notice. Beyond its 4x Rock weakness it requires much less positioning than the other offensive members of the team and still does its job regardless of the opponents. Heat Wave is the main move on the set, hitting both opponents with a Sun-boosted STAB. Solarbeam is just coverage, hitting Water-types and Rock-types that think they can mess with a Fire-type. Overheat was added to get around Wide Guard users, but in reality it does so much more - it's a base 130 power move with a 2.25x boost against neutral opponents. It's a nuke.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 24 SAtk / 232 Spd
Naive Nature
- Rock Slide
- Crunch
- Ice Beam
- Fire Blast
Scarf Tyranitar is a set I was a pretty big fan of after makiri introduced me to it in SPL (I never really liked it in BW and never used it prior in XY). Here, Tyranitar deals with things like opposing Charizard-Y, Talonflame, and works to wear down Cresselia (which the team can have a bit of trouble with). It's also the fastest member of the team, which is probably one of the team's primary drawbacks - speed control is almost entirely absent from this team and its fastest member barely beats the base 115 mark. Ice Beam is pretty clutch, hitting things like Garchomp, Lando-T, Salamence, and with some luck Shaymin-Sky that aren't expecting it, but Fire Blast could probably be replaced with Superpower.
Hitmontop (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 44 Atk / 76 Def / 128 SDef / 8 Spd
Careful Nature
- Wide Guard
- Fake Out
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
And we come to support Pokemon number one. Hitmontop has a tendency to die early, but its important cannot be understated. Intimidate and Fake Out are awesome tools it has at its disposal, and a clutch Wide Guard doesn't hurt either. Close Combat is a staple STAB move that also helps with Mega Kangaskhan, and Stone Edge helps remove a Charizard early on so Tyranitar can focus on other things. The EV spread lets Hitmontop do the following things:
252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 128+ SpD Hitmontop in Sun: 256-303 (84.2 - 99.6%)
252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Return vs. 252 HP / 76 Def Hitmontop: 256-303 (84.2 - 99.6%)
fuck I forget what else, but it hits those benchmarks!
Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 224 HP / 192 Def / 92 SDef
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Spore
- Protect
- Rage Powder
- Giga Drain
MY FAVORITE SET EVER. Amoonguss kicks ass in Smogon Doubles. A nice typing gives it a bunch of resists that it can abuse with Follow Me and the proper partners. Its low Speed and Spore make it an excellent Trick Room deterrent as well. Rocky Helmet is a nice item on it for how the teams I use it on typically play - the chip damage and anti-Kangaskhan measure is a great help on bulky offense.
Keldeo @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Taunt
- Protect
Keldeo is a neat Pokemon too. Its high Speed and Special Attack make for a formidable little pony, and a great STAB combination in Water/Fighting doesn't hurt either. Keldeo is capable of late-game cleaning but typically picks off (or scares off) specific threats such as Bisharp, Kangaskhan, and Heatran, which can otherwise be annoying. Taunt is an anti-Trick Room measure - blocking the move from going up is really helpful when you don't always have the bulk to stall out TR turns.
Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 96 HP / 212 SAtk / 200 Spd
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Substitute
The team was originally built around Kyurem-B, so it's only fitting that it still sticks around. I came up with the idea of Sub Kyurem-B after going over Audiosurfer's team structure and seeing he used a lot of Rotom. Kyurem looked like a great answer to Rotom in general - it has the Speed to outrun almost all Rotom variants, it resists Water and Electric (and OHKOs Rotom-Heat), and Substitute blocks the effects of Will-o-Wisp and Electroweb. I didn't realize Sub Kyurem-B would take off like it ended up doing, however - I know Nollan's used it to great effect in the past as well. It has the bulk and typing to switch into some of the most common Pokemon in the metagame, threaten them out, and set up a Substitute and proceed to Protect and attack from behind it. Protect naturally works well with Substitute - Sub tends to force double targeting, and a well-timed Protect can block the opponent for an entire turn. The EVs are made to guarantee a KO on uninvested Bisharp after being hit by Hitmontop's Fake Out and outrun Modest Rotom-W, with the rest of the EVs thrown into HP.
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As for an overarching team strategy, there really isn't one - it's kind of just "spam attacks, use TopShroom for support, react to the opponent, spam more attacks."
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---SPL Finals aka Loses To Rock Slide Crits---
aka Arcticblast Is Still Bitter
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aka Arcticblast Is Still Bitter
This team was built some time before the final week of SPL and was used in my battle against R Inanimate. I thought it was a damn good battle until the crit happened... but I'm just salty. This time around I have an actual teambuilding process section! You should check it out. Like, for real.
This team was actually built around Mega Heracross! I was in the Doubles room while people were talking about it and decided to build around it. I'd never really had any success with Heracross in BW Doubles, but I'd used Mega Heracross in the very early stages of UU and it pretty much slayed, so I decided I'd use it.
I decided that Follow Me support would be great for Mega Heracross. Jirachi and Heracross have types that synch pretty well with each other (Jirachi resists Psychic, Flying, and Fairy, mostly) and added that.
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I quickly realized both Heracross and Jirachi were weak to Fire. This is always a huge DON'T DO THIS, so I added Politoed. I then tacked on Ludicolo because if I'm running Rain I might as well add a fast special attacker and Fake Out support in one Pokemon, right?
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Here I decided that I needed a couple forms of speed control - Thunder Wave and some anti Trick Room measure. Bulky Thundurus conveniently fit both needs while also providing a decently strong Thunderbolt - useful for the Sun matchup, which at this point wasn't looking too pretty...
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I threw Landorus-T on because I wanted Intimidate and Lando-T is an incredible mon that does good things. LAZY TEAMBUILDING
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And that was how the team looked for a while. Once I'd tested it a decent amount and decided to use it in SPL, makiri and I went over the team and we (mostly he) decided Mega Scizor would work better than Mega Heracross. At this point, Jirachi doesn't work so well as a partner for the mega bug, so we switched to Togekiss. Or maybe we changed Togekiss first, then Heracross. I forget. Whatever.
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I decided that Follow Me support would be great for Mega Heracross. Jirachi and Heracross have types that synch pretty well with each other (Jirachi resists Psychic, Flying, and Fairy, mostly) and added that.
I quickly realized both Heracross and Jirachi were weak to Fire. This is always a huge DON'T DO THIS, so I added Politoed. I then tacked on Ludicolo because if I'm running Rain I might as well add a fast special attacker and Fake Out support in one Pokemon, right?
Here I decided that I needed a couple forms of speed control - Thunder Wave and some anti Trick Room measure. Bulky Thundurus conveniently fit both needs while also providing a decently strong Thunderbolt - useful for the Sun matchup, which at this point wasn't looking too pretty...
I threw Landorus-T on because I wanted Intimidate and Lando-T is an incredible mon that does good things. LAZY TEAMBUILDING
And that was how the team looked for a while. Once I'd tested it a decent amount and decided to use it in SPL, makiri and I went over the team and we (mostly he) decided Mega Scizor would work better than Mega Heracross. At this point, Jirachi doesn't work so well as a partner for the mega bug, so we switched to Togekiss. Or maybe we changed Togekiss first, then Heracross. I forget. Whatever.
All right, so that's that. Moving on...
Politoed @ Rindo Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Def / 136 SAtk / 4 Spd
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Encore
The only Fire resist this team has ever actually used, Politoed provides the Rain that the team now loves. Politoed's role doesn't extend far beyond providing Rain, but it's still useful beyond that - Hydro Pump hits insanely hard in Rain (the EVs guarantee a 2HKO on max HP Mega Kangaskhan) and Encore is always a good move to have, locking things into Fake Out or Protect.
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 212 Atk / 196 HP / 100 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
The bug overlord. Mega Scizor was a fantastic addition to the team, providing a primary win condition at best and a bulky priority attacker at worst. Its bulk is nothing to joke about - it has a shot at taking Modest Char-Y's Heat Wave in the Rain and isn't even 2HKOed by Adamant Lando-T's Earthquake. Bullet Punch is really useful on a team that has a few Trick Room worries and is just really good. Bug Bite strips stuff of its berries and with the given EVs will always 2HKO Cresselia (OHKO at +2). Swords Dance not only lets it sweep, but also lets it buy a few extra turns against those teams that love flinging Intimidate everywhere.
Ludicolo @ Assault Vest
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 112 HP / 252 SAtk / 144 Spd
Modest Nature
- Fake Out
- Hydro Pump
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
Credit to Mizuhime for bringing attention to AV Ludicolo. This thing kind of kicks ass. Great special bulk with Assault Vest combined with Fake Out support, Swift Swim, and awesome power with Rain-boosted Hydro Pump makes for a great addition to a team with rain. Ludicolo's high Speed with Swift Swim lets it outrun some of the most dangerous Pokemon in the tier, such as Shaymin-S and Scarf Lando-T (they're all Adamant) and OHKO them. STAB Giga Drain is great for an Assault Vest Pokemon to have as well, giving it extra longevity and taking huge chunks out of Rotom-W. The Speed EVs outrun Scarf Lando-T in Rain and speed creep Rotom-W out of it.
252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 112 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Ludicolo in Sun: 271-321 (82.3 - 97.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
GET FUCKING BENT CHARIZARD.
Togekiss @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 44 Def / 212 SDef
Calm Nature
- Roost
- Follow Me
- Air Slash
- Thunder Wave
This is here almost entirely for Follow Me, which is an amazing move in its own right - but that's not all Togekiss does. Its excellent natural bulk lets it take repeated hits and heal them off with Roost, and it pairs well with Thundurus to paralyze everything and dish out some damage with Air Slash. The decision to ditch Protect was made when makiri suggested that Safety Goggles Togekiss might be better off with both Roost and Thunder Wave for more longevity + support in one package.
I feel like here would be a good time to bring up the fact that this team only has two instances of Protect, as compared to four on the first team (four and a half if you count Wide Guard?). This is due to a combination of item incompatibility (Ludicolo can't use it and Lando-T doesn't really want Scarf Protect...) and and competitition for moveslots (Togekiss and Thundurus need all four of those). This means that against certain opponents this team must be played carefully. You can no longer just keep stuff alive with Protect - you need to take advantage of every opportunity to bring something in and grab momentum whenever you can. Double Thunder Wave helps, but only goes so far.
Thundurus (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 28 Def / 12 SAtk / 188 SDef / 32 Spd
Calm Nature
- Taunt
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Thunder Wave
Speaking of Thunder Wave, Thundurus is basically its signature user. It's also a great help on this team. Thunder Wave slows down certain opponents for Scizor to take advantage of later. Taunt not only delays Trick Room but also shuts down Pokemon like Cresselia and Amoonguss, prevents annoying things like Kyurem-B from getting a Sub up, and stops Protect. Thunderbolt is a nice STAB move that still hurts what it needs to hurt. Focus Blast is probably the most specialized move on this team - it's specifically for Bisharp. Lolk 6-0d me with that once and I am salty about that too -.- I explained my EV spread somewhere but I don't feel like finding it right now so bleh
Side note: The Rock Slide crit wouldn't have been bad if I'd used Charti Berry, but I'm too attached to Sitrus...
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower
garb filler mon don't use Lando it sucks more dicks than jrp and Hollywood at a Pokemon-themed gay bar
nah it's pretty cool. Rock Slide > Stone Edge because I felt the improved accuracy (FUCK YOU HYDRO PUMP) and ability to "bypass" Rage Powder / Follow Me would be more useful than the power here. Superpower smacks Kangaskhan and stuff, EVs outrun Mega Manectric
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So this team actually has a decent strategy behind it! The general goal is to use Ludicolo to take out some of the Pokemon that can heavily threaten Scizor (mostly Heatran and Zard) and use Togekiss and Thundurus to slow down things that outrun Scizor, lessening my reliance on Bullet Punch (let's be real, Bug Bite is awesome in a metagame full of Sitrus Berries). It's still a fairly reactionary team (most of mine are honestly), and for the most part it has room to breathe in case I can't just do what I said before. Sometimes it's Scizor doing the threat removal, sometimes Scizor and Ludi end up both being really important lategame, and sometimes I have to clutch with Air Slash flinches.
---Farewell---
So yeah, I'm going to be stepping down from my duties on Smogon. My life isn't looking too great right now due to a number of problems both personal and material (ALWAYS GET YOUR REC LETTERS). I realized that I need to spend a lot less time on Smogon than I have, but the inordinate amout of time I've spent logged in is the driving force behind the things I do onsite. I'm not retiring just yet though, I have some stuff to do first :o and I'll be on IRC more often than not regardless, you guys are cool.
---Shoutouts---
I've decided to only do a select few individual shoutouts (because I know I'd forget a bunch of people [hell I'll forget a lot anyway]) and have instead decided to keep it mainly to group shoutouts. If I were to give you an individual shoutout and you aren't listed, you know who you are. If I tagged you in the RMT section, that counts as a shoutout by the way! Also this section is going to be really short.
Zarel - I wouldn't have gotten anywhere on Smogon without PS and you're not a dick
chaos - Smogon wouldn't exist to get anywhere on without you and you're also not a dick
Mizuhime - sorry for not putting much effort into this section lol
Senior staff - I don't really know a whole lot of you but I guess you're cool enough
Doubles - BEST TIER. Even if the community is kind of divided between IRC and PS (lol who uses the forum amirite) you're all still great
Other Metas - this is my formal apology for that one post I made where I said I hated the community, that post came from a bad place and I regret making it. Just try not to turn OM into a giant social group and don't be afraid to branch out into official tiers.
PS staff - I'm an old fart compared to most of you guys now lmao
Makeshift Social Group - very serious conversation
TAONU - fuckin weebs
Stark Sharks - We're the best.
I probably forgot some people in there but whatever
WE NOW RETURN TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED SHITPOSTING
