Hello everyone, I'm back with a new team that needs rating, so I'll get right into it, starting with my team building process so you can all see exactly what I was thinking.
Step One: Selecting the Core
I had already decided that I'd make an Infernape-based team due to the fiery chimp's wide coverage, great speed, and good offenses. The special-based mixed attacker it was, with HP Ice over Nasty Plot.
Step Two: Team Support
With my core member selected, I needed to choose pokemon that could support it by removing its counters and helping its sweep. MixApe that don't carry Nasty Plot are typically stopped by bulky waters and priority. I quickly decided on Celebi, as its bulk and movepool compliments Infernape nicely. The Tinkerbell set could easily dispose of bulky waters and the number one user of priority, Scizor (which still does a significant average 40% to the chimp with Bullet Punch).
The second group of pokemon that stop Infernape tend to be fast pokemon, whether they utilize their natural speed or a Scarf. Fortunately, many of these pokemon tend to be frail and susceptible to priority...or Pursuit. This immediately led me to the ever-useful Scizor, which not only picks off or traps faster frail pokemon, but it also removes Cresselia, Latias, and provides a nice Salamence check. It, too, is fairly bulky.
Step 3: Filling in The Gaps
With these three forming a nice trio that successfully supports Infernape, I was left with 2 spots to work with, as well as the lead position. Looking over my team, I noticed that Infernape was really the only speedy one, and it was the core member anyway. Some speed is always nice, so I went with Timid Life Orb Starmie. Not only does it provide a speedy check to +1 Gyarados and unboosted Salamence, but it hits much harder than normal, making Pursuit users a non-issue. Furthermore, it allows me to cover ScarfTran, who could cause the others trouble.
2 spots left. I needed something that could do some damage early game to get me some momentum, but I had some difficulty finding something that fit in well with the team. Until I came across Gliscor. A speedy set with Taunt, Earthquake, and Roost could let me keep the semi-bulky nature of the team, while also preventing stall. With U-Turn, I could keep the offensive momentum as well. Finally, it provides a nice check to multiple physical threats, especially Lucario.
Step 4: The Lead
Oftentimes the most difficult part of teambuilding for me, I needed to come up with a lead. It would carry stealth rock, no doubt, due to the offensive nature of the team as well as Infernape's tendency to attract flying-types. A second steel type could prove highly valuable, so I was torn between Metagross and Jirachi. Because of Jirachi's ability to prevent Stealth Rock 60% of the time, I settled on it.
Now - onto the team itself.
Jirachi@Choice Scarf
Adamant; 76 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
Trick
U-turn
Iron Head
Stealth Rock
Lead Jirachi - we all know it and love it. Jirachi is especially adept at preventing other leads from setting up rocks of their own, and helps me set them up on my side. Trick can cripple the likes of Bronzong and Swampert leads, or even Azelf and Aerodactyl can be locked into a support move. Once the Scarf has been given away, it retains a quick 281 speed, outrunning Adamant Lucario. Iron Head is a staple, and allows me to flinch slower foes, while U-turn lets me escape from Magnezone and keeps offensive momentum.
Team Support:
Jirachi supports the team by setting up those crucial rocks, as I've mentioned. Its combination of bulk and speed come in handy, especially with its great typing.
Team Synergy
Jirachi provides Rock, Grass, Steel, Poison, and, most importantly, a Dragon resist for the team. Its neutrality to many types proves effective at switching in with its nice defenses as well. Starmie and Infernape can take Fire attacks aimed at it, while Celebi and Gliscor deal with Ground.
Gliscor@Leftovers
Jolly; 180 HP / 112 Atk / 216 Spe
Taunt
Roost
U-turn
Earthquake
Gliscor finds itself on the team as a valuable asset against stall - with a slight twist on the EVs. It provides a check to Lucario and Tyranitar thanks to its natural bulk, while replenishing its HP with Roost. U-Turn lets me keep the offensive momentum, especially when used with Jirachi and Scizor.
Team Support
Gliscor provides the team with some added defensive bulk, and prevents stall from setting up the entry hazards that Infernape so despises. It deals with powerful fighters such as Machamp and Lucario, and helps weaken the opposing team members with its U-turn and Earthquake.
Team Synergy
Gliscor is weak to Water and Ice, attacks typically carried by the bulky waters. With a quick U-turn, I can easily bring Celebi in to dispose of the water types aiming to quickly KO Gliscor. In exchange, Gliscor provides the team with an electric immunity, ground immunity, and poison, fighting, and bug resists. Its speed allows it to buy a rock resist as well if needed.
Starmie@Life Orb
Timid; 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Recover
Ice Beam
Thunderbolt
Hydro Pump
The jewel of the sea finds itself onto my team once again. One of my favorite pokemon, it finds itself checking DDGyara here, as well as unboosted Salamence. It does so with its wide type coverage, boosted by a Life Orb. Using said Life Orb, its Hydro Pump decimates the likes of Scizor, Metagross, Tyranitar, etc, making their attempts to use Pursuit futile.
Team Support
Starmie fulfills several roles. It works well with Infernape in that, should Infernape somehow be taken out, Blissey and Snorlax are still out of the way, allowing Starmie to sweep with its deadly Hydro Pump, backed by incredible speed and a Life Orb. However, the support is generally the other way around - Starmie removes ScarfTran and the rare Moltres, which can hamper Infernape's success. Additionally, it doesn't mind being tricked Scarf or especially Specs, so it works well in that regard, too.
Team Synergy
Starmie works well with the team - its Electric and Grass weaknesses are dealt with by Celebi, while its Ghost and Dark are handled by Scizor. Though it isn't as vulnerable to Pursuit as more supportive Starmie, should it be taken out by such an attack, Infernape can easily come in and threaten the opponent's team with its wide coverage. Furthermore, Starmie's Natural Cure means that, like Celebi, paralysis and poison are only temporary solutions to it.
Scizor@Choice Band
Adamant; 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
U-turn
Pursuit
Superpower
Bullet Punch
There's really no need to explain this. We all know how it works by now.
Team Support
Scizor provides immense team support, moreso than usual, since it easily removes some of the top threats to Infernape. It's U-turn weakens the opponents team as usual, getting the pokemon into Infernape's KO range - which is especially important as it lacks Nasty Plot or Swords Dance. Should a faster, frail pokemon such as Azelf or Gengar attempt to revenge Infernape after a kill, Scizor can easly come in on a resisted Psychic or Shadow Ball and put either of the two in checkmate position with Bullet Punch and Pursuit. Speaking of, it helps remove Latias, the bane of special based Infernape everywhere, while its Bullet Punch provides a secondary check to Salamence and Flygon, should revenging with Starmie be a risky prospect at the time. Its Pursuit also deals with pokemon that are frailer on the physical side, such as Tentacruel or Jolteon.
Team Synergy
Scizor is weak to one type - Fire. This is dealt with by Starmie and Infernape. Meanwhile, Scizor can use its decent defensive stats to take neutral electric and rock hits, as well as resisted dark, ghost, grass, and dragon hits. Scizor is mainly used to remove and check faster threats. Examples of would-be revengers taken care of by Scizor include: Azelf, Gengar, Scarf Flygon, Latias, Aerodactyl, and even Crobat. Aside from these speedy checks, Scizor also removes Cresselia, Latias, and even Tentacruel. A team player indeed.
Celebi@Life Orb
Modest; 232 HP / 244 SpA / 32 Spe
Psychic
Recover
Leaf Storm
Hidden Power
Tinkerbell Celebi fills the fifth slot due to its incredible synergy with Infernape. Because heavy EV investment and HP Fire allow it to switch in and out worry-free of Tyranitar and Scizor's Pursuit, it can strategically remove bulky waters seeking to halt Infernape's sweep. Recover allows Celebi to heal off damage from weaker attacks, as well as LO recoil. Psychic is there over Thunder Wave because paralysis support isn't exactly required for Infernape, and also because, once Tyranitar is removed, it helps prevent the opponent from simply using Leaf Storm's side effect to render Celebi useless as LO recoil takes its toll.
Team Support
Celebi really helps clear the way for Infernape to sweep. Although Nape does have Grass Knot, it does alot less without NP backing it up, so Celebi steps in with a powerful STAB Leaf Storm. It removes Swampert, Suicune, Gyarados, Milotic, Tentacruel (with Psychic), Starmie, and can even take on Jolteon and Starmie if necessary (both of which outspeed Infernape). With Psychic in its arsenal, it becomes a decent threat in itself, doing 63% minimum to Adamant / Jolly Mence, and 69% min to Naive Mence, possibly OHKOing with Stealth Rock.
Team Synergy
Celebi's key resistances to Water, Ground, Electric, and Fighting are offset by its 7 weaknesses, so they must be addressed. While Infernape covers its weaknesses to Ice, Bug, Dark, and Fire, Scizor can fill in the holes when it comes to Ghost and Poison attacks. Flying moves are dealt with by Jirachi, and thankfully they aren't as common. With these weaknesses covered, Celebi can easily come into the aforementioned resists (the majority of which are common attacking types) and do the job outlined above. When combined with Recover and its natural bulk (supplemented by HP EVs), Celebi is often one of the last remaining team members.
Infernape@Expert Belt
Naive; 62 Atk / 252 SpA / 196 Spe
Grass Knot
Close Combat
Flamethrower
Hidden Power
Here it is, the final member of the team, and the focus. The given moveset allows Infernape to have excellent type coverage, warranting the use of Expert Belt. The boost in power is only slightly less than when compared to Life Orb, and it prevents opponents from simply stalling Infernape until LO Recoil puts it in Scizor's Bullet Punch kill range. As a mixed sweeper, Blissey, Tyranitar, and Snorlax can't wall it like they can with other special attackers, which is a real plus. The rest of the team revolves around supporting Infernape, and attempts to do so while retaining good synergy.
And that's the team - rate away.
Credit for the Mystery Dungeon Headshots, as well as the DPPt backsprites goes to www.serebiiforums.com/, while the individual images go to www.arkeis.com.
Step One: Selecting the Core
I had already decided that I'd make an Infernape-based team due to the fiery chimp's wide coverage, great speed, and good offenses. The special-based mixed attacker it was, with HP Ice over Nasty Plot.
Step Two: Team Support
With my core member selected, I needed to choose pokemon that could support it by removing its counters and helping its sweep. MixApe that don't carry Nasty Plot are typically stopped by bulky waters and priority. I quickly decided on Celebi, as its bulk and movepool compliments Infernape nicely. The Tinkerbell set could easily dispose of bulky waters and the number one user of priority, Scizor (which still does a significant average 40% to the chimp with Bullet Punch).
The second group of pokemon that stop Infernape tend to be fast pokemon, whether they utilize their natural speed or a Scarf. Fortunately, many of these pokemon tend to be frail and susceptible to priority...or Pursuit. This immediately led me to the ever-useful Scizor, which not only picks off or traps faster frail pokemon, but it also removes Cresselia, Latias, and provides a nice Salamence check. It, too, is fairly bulky.
Step 3: Filling in The Gaps
With these three forming a nice trio that successfully supports Infernape, I was left with 2 spots to work with, as well as the lead position. Looking over my team, I noticed that Infernape was really the only speedy one, and it was the core member anyway. Some speed is always nice, so I went with Timid Life Orb Starmie. Not only does it provide a speedy check to +1 Gyarados and unboosted Salamence, but it hits much harder than normal, making Pursuit users a non-issue. Furthermore, it allows me to cover ScarfTran, who could cause the others trouble.
2 spots left. I needed something that could do some damage early game to get me some momentum, but I had some difficulty finding something that fit in well with the team. Until I came across Gliscor. A speedy set with Taunt, Earthquake, and Roost could let me keep the semi-bulky nature of the team, while also preventing stall. With U-Turn, I could keep the offensive momentum as well. Finally, it provides a nice check to multiple physical threats, especially Lucario.
Step 4: The Lead
Oftentimes the most difficult part of teambuilding for me, I needed to come up with a lead. It would carry stealth rock, no doubt, due to the offensive nature of the team as well as Infernape's tendency to attract flying-types. A second steel type could prove highly valuable, so I was torn between Metagross and Jirachi. Because of Jirachi's ability to prevent Stealth Rock 60% of the time, I settled on it.
Now - onto the team itself.
The Team
Jirachi@Choice Scarf
Adamant; 76 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
Lead Jirachi - we all know it and love it. Jirachi is especially adept at preventing other leads from setting up rocks of their own, and helps me set them up on my side. Trick can cripple the likes of Bronzong and Swampert leads, or even Azelf and Aerodactyl can be locked into a support move. Once the Scarf has been given away, it retains a quick 281 speed, outrunning Adamant Lucario. Iron Head is a staple, and allows me to flinch slower foes, while U-turn lets me escape from Magnezone and keeps offensive momentum.
Team Support:
Jirachi supports the team by setting up those crucial rocks, as I've mentioned. Its combination of bulk and speed come in handy, especially with its great typing.
Team Synergy
Jirachi provides Rock, Grass, Steel, Poison, and, most importantly, a Dragon resist for the team. Its neutrality to many types proves effective at switching in with its nice defenses as well. Starmie and Infernape can take Fire attacks aimed at it, while Celebi and Gliscor deal with Ground.
Gliscor@Leftovers
Jolly; 180 HP / 112 Atk / 216 Spe
Gliscor finds itself on the team as a valuable asset against stall - with a slight twist on the EVs. It provides a check to Lucario and Tyranitar thanks to its natural bulk, while replenishing its HP with Roost. U-Turn lets me keep the offensive momentum, especially when used with Jirachi and Scizor.
Team Support
Gliscor provides the team with some added defensive bulk, and prevents stall from setting up the entry hazards that Infernape so despises. It deals with powerful fighters such as Machamp and Lucario, and helps weaken the opposing team members with its U-turn and Earthquake.
Team Synergy
Gliscor is weak to Water and Ice, attacks typically carried by the bulky waters. With a quick U-turn, I can easily bring Celebi in to dispose of the water types aiming to quickly KO Gliscor. In exchange, Gliscor provides the team with an electric immunity, ground immunity, and poison, fighting, and bug resists. Its speed allows it to buy a rock resist as well if needed.
Starmie@Life Orb
Timid; 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
The jewel of the sea finds itself onto my team once again. One of my favorite pokemon, it finds itself checking DDGyara here, as well as unboosted Salamence. It does so with its wide type coverage, boosted by a Life Orb. Using said Life Orb, its Hydro Pump decimates the likes of Scizor, Metagross, Tyranitar, etc, making their attempts to use Pursuit futile.
Team Support
Starmie fulfills several roles. It works well with Infernape in that, should Infernape somehow be taken out, Blissey and Snorlax are still out of the way, allowing Starmie to sweep with its deadly Hydro Pump, backed by incredible speed and a Life Orb. However, the support is generally the other way around - Starmie removes ScarfTran and the rare Moltres, which can hamper Infernape's success. Additionally, it doesn't mind being tricked Scarf or especially Specs, so it works well in that regard, too.
Team Synergy
Starmie works well with the team - its Electric and Grass weaknesses are dealt with by Celebi, while its Ghost and Dark are handled by Scizor. Though it isn't as vulnerable to Pursuit as more supportive Starmie, should it be taken out by such an attack, Infernape can easily come in and threaten the opponent's team with its wide coverage. Furthermore, Starmie's Natural Cure means that, like Celebi, paralysis and poison are only temporary solutions to it.
Scizor@Choice Band
Adamant; 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
There's really no need to explain this. We all know how it works by now.
Team Support
Scizor provides immense team support, moreso than usual, since it easily removes some of the top threats to Infernape. It's U-turn weakens the opponents team as usual, getting the pokemon into Infernape's KO range - which is especially important as it lacks Nasty Plot or Swords Dance. Should a faster, frail pokemon such as Azelf or Gengar attempt to revenge Infernape after a kill, Scizor can easly come in on a resisted Psychic or Shadow Ball and put either of the two in checkmate position with Bullet Punch and Pursuit. Speaking of, it helps remove Latias, the bane of special based Infernape everywhere, while its Bullet Punch provides a secondary check to Salamence and Flygon, should revenging with Starmie be a risky prospect at the time. Its Pursuit also deals with pokemon that are frailer on the physical side, such as Tentacruel or Jolteon.
Team Synergy
Scizor is weak to one type - Fire. This is dealt with by Starmie and Infernape. Meanwhile, Scizor can use its decent defensive stats to take neutral electric and rock hits, as well as resisted dark, ghost, grass, and dragon hits. Scizor is mainly used to remove and check faster threats. Examples of would-be revengers taken care of by Scizor include: Azelf, Gengar, Scarf Flygon, Latias, Aerodactyl, and even Crobat. Aside from these speedy checks, Scizor also removes Cresselia, Latias, and even Tentacruel. A team player indeed.
Celebi@Life Orb
Modest; 232 HP / 244 SpA / 32 Spe
Tinkerbell Celebi fills the fifth slot due to its incredible synergy with Infernape. Because heavy EV investment and HP Fire allow it to switch in and out worry-free of Tyranitar and Scizor's Pursuit, it can strategically remove bulky waters seeking to halt Infernape's sweep. Recover allows Celebi to heal off damage from weaker attacks, as well as LO recoil. Psychic is there over Thunder Wave because paralysis support isn't exactly required for Infernape, and also because, once Tyranitar is removed, it helps prevent the opponent from simply using Leaf Storm's side effect to render Celebi useless as LO recoil takes its toll.
Team Support
Celebi really helps clear the way for Infernape to sweep. Although Nape does have Grass Knot, it does alot less without NP backing it up, so Celebi steps in with a powerful STAB Leaf Storm. It removes Swampert, Suicune, Gyarados, Milotic, Tentacruel (with Psychic), Starmie, and can even take on Jolteon and Starmie if necessary (both of which outspeed Infernape). With Psychic in its arsenal, it becomes a decent threat in itself, doing 63% minimum to Adamant / Jolly Mence, and 69% min to Naive Mence, possibly OHKOing with Stealth Rock.
Team Synergy
Celebi's key resistances to Water, Ground, Electric, and Fighting are offset by its 7 weaknesses, so they must be addressed. While Infernape covers its weaknesses to Ice, Bug, Dark, and Fire, Scizor can fill in the holes when it comes to Ghost and Poison attacks. Flying moves are dealt with by Jirachi, and thankfully they aren't as common. With these weaknesses covered, Celebi can easily come into the aforementioned resists (the majority of which are common attacking types) and do the job outlined above. When combined with Recover and its natural bulk (supplemented by HP EVs), Celebi is often one of the last remaining team members.
Infernape@Expert Belt
Naive; 62 Atk / 252 SpA / 196 Spe
Here it is, the final member of the team, and the focus. The given moveset allows Infernape to have excellent type coverage, warranting the use of Expert Belt. The boost in power is only slightly less than when compared to Life Orb, and it prevents opponents from simply stalling Infernape until LO Recoil puts it in Scizor's Bullet Punch kill range. As a mixed sweeper, Blissey, Tyranitar, and Snorlax can't wall it like they can with other special attackers, which is a real plus. The rest of the team revolves around supporting Infernape, and attempts to do so while retaining good synergy.
And that's the team - rate away.
Credit for the Mystery Dungeon Headshots, as well as the DPPt backsprites goes to www.serebiiforums.com/, while the individual images go to www.arkeis.com.
