Meet the Planeteers:
Earth! == Fire! == Wind! == = Water! ==Heart! = GO PLANET!
This team is a split-core Offensive team. It's split in that there are two very distinct cores present in the team, but they come together very nicely into one cohesive unit, hence the Captain Planet theme. I came about this team because after my other team "Living Proof" got to #1, I wanted to do two things: 1) Remain at the top of the ladder with that team and 2) Make a new team I could enjoy without using any Pokemon from Living Proof. So I started on a journey of sorts to find another solid team I could sink my teeth into. After many failed and frustrating attempts at teams with the likes of Scarf Heracross, Bulk-Up Scrafty, Ferroseed, Specs Slowbro, Honchkrow, etc; I ran into a guy on the ladder by the name of "was banned by" (May or may not be SoundsofMadness on the forums here) using a team with Aero, Smeargle, Victini, Pineco, and a couple other things.
I thought it would be a fairly easy win, until I saw what he had in mind. Suicide lead Aero into Smeargle into Victini. The team I was testing couldn't hope to contend with it. I was intrigued by the setup that I wanted to take it for a spin myself. After running through many things that would fill out the back half of the team, I finally found the other Core: Rain Offensive.
I thought it would be a fairly easy win, until I saw what he had in mind. Suicide lead Aero into Smeargle into Victini. The team I was testing couldn't hope to contend with it. I was intrigued by the setup that I wanted to take it for a spin myself. After running through many things that would fill out the back half of the team, I finally found the other Core: Rain Offensive.
Smash Core - Option A Offensive:
Captain (Aerodactyl) (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
Aerodactyl will lead my games 9 times out of 10. That's why is the captain, leading the unit into the fray. He is the standard Suicide lead and does his job very damn well. Rocks are essential for every time, but for my needs, it helps me turn many 2HKO's into OHKO's which is often times the difference between winning and losing. EdgeQuake to give Aero ways to deal damage. The only times Aero doesn't lead is if I see Sableye on my opponent's team, at which point I'll most likely lead with Tornadus.
Taunt for keeping mainly Rocks off my field, but also for locking down Roars and Trick Room which would otherwise shutdown my Option A Offensive.
Ma Ti (Smeargle) (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Own Tempo
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Spore
- Shell Smash
- Baton Pass
- Ingrain
After Aero is dead (more than likely), Smeargle comes into to set my plan into action. Smash to set me up for sweeping immediately and Spore to incapacitate something before passing off to a sweep member. The most likely recipient is Victini, but there other scenarios that warrant me not to do so, and I'll get to that later. The last slot of Ingrain is up in the air. Ingrain is there because if given the chance, it let's my sweeper a bit more survivability. I saw SoundsofMadness uses Magic Coat which I am considering because it would give Sableye and other Prankster users a giant middle finger.
Wheeler (Victini) @ Life Orb
Trait: Victory Star
EVs: 208 Atk / 48 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Stored Power
- Substitute
If Plan A goes according to plan, I pass my boosts to Wheeler and proceed to sweep. Like SoundsofMadness, I use the same moveset, however, I use my own EVs after a ton of calculating to make sure I scored important KOs. I put full speed into my Victini because sometimes my opponent carries a common Scarf user (Flygon, Darmanitan, Heracross) while also carrying something that I have to V-Create to kill, and I want to still be able to outspeed those Scarfers afterwards. Some calcs against Walls:
Snorlax:
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 0 HP / 52 Def Thick Fat Snorlax: 406-477 (88.06 - 103.47%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 80 HP / 96 Def Thick Fat Snorlax: 382-450 (79.41 - 93.55%) -- 43.75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Porygon-2:
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Eviolite Porygon2: 445-524 (118.98 - 140.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 339-399 (90.64 - 106.68%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Cresselia:
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 390-460 (87.83 - 103.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Swampert:
+2 48 SpA Life Orb Victini Stored Power (140 BP) vs. 240 HP / 0 SpD Swampert: 450-530 (112.21 - 132.16%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 0 HP / 52 Def Thick Fat Snorlax: 406-477 (88.06 - 103.47%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 80 HP / 96 Def Thick Fat Snorlax: 382-450 (79.41 - 93.55%) -- 43.75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Porygon-2:
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Eviolite Porygon2: 445-524 (118.98 - 140.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 339-399 (90.64 - 106.68%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Cresselia:
+2 208 Atk Life Orb Victini V-create vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 390-460 (87.83 - 103.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Swampert:
+2 48 SpA Life Orb Victini Stored Power (140 BP) vs. 240 HP / 0 SpD Swampert: 450-530 (112.21 - 132.16%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The Special Attack EVs still give Stored Power enough power to kill everything that doesn't resist, and Substitute to bypass Sucker Punch.
Rain Core - Option B Offensive:
If for whatever reason Option A doesn't work and Victini's sweep is cut short, I go full on Rain Offensive. There are also rare times I start off the game with rain offensive and then clean up with Victini after Rain is done beating holes into things. Usually comes when my opponent has Sableye that I suspect to lead.
Link (Tornadus) @ Damp Rock
Trait: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Hurricane
- Rain Dance
- Taunt
- Superpower
Link's main mission in life is to set up the rain for Kingdra and/or Kabutops. Taunt to either keep things from setting up Rocks (if Aero is dead by then), Subs, or T-waves. After Rain is up, I will either spam attacks until Tornadus is dead, or sac Smeargle (if done with his job) to get a free switch into Kingdra or Kabutops.
There have been times a weakened Link has strictly setup rain, died, then I went into Ma Ti to setup SmashPass to a Rain Sweeper making them +2/+2/+2 in the rain for 3-4 turns...things die.
Gi (Kingdra) (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Surf
- Dragon Pulse
- Hydro Pump
- Rain Dance
Standard Cleanup Kingdra here, however if I have to pass boosts to Gi, she WILL fuck your world up. +2 Modest Kingdra is nothing to sneeze at. Why would I pass boosts to Kingdra over Victini you may ask yourself. That is done when I see my opponent has something with Aqua Jet that would kill Victini at -1 Defense and shut my sweep way short. Kingdra's typing make it so she can take those for days and hit back hard with Dragon Pulse, making her a prime Pass recipient. Rain Dance allows Gi to self modify her powers of cleanup if given the chance.
Kwame (Kabutops) (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
- Superpower
Kwame's love for plant life makes him very angry when people try to infringe on that. Kabutops is my physical Rain Offensive hitter and he does exactly that. I have considered Carracosta here because it has Sturdy and can setup its own Shell Smash, but I liked Kabutops speed overall as he can outspeed all common Scarfers in the rain, or +2 if boosted from Smeargle. I pass to Kabutops when I see my opponent has Normal priority attacks. Even at -1, he still takes them relatively well (Offensive Arcanine tops out at ~35%). He also has Aqua Jet to bypass the likes of Prankster and Sucker Punch (If Rain or boosted).
Superpower may look weird, but it is used for the likes of Snorlax, P2, and Umbreon without having to switch out. They really don't like to take the move. Superpower is best when passed a Smash because I can use one to kill and still be at +1 to keep on ticking.
- Prankster users - Shuts down my SmashPass, Sableye can Wisp my Kabutops and Taunt my Aero from start.
- Multi-hit Attacks - They break through my Sashes and can thwart my plans if I'm caught off guard.
- Dragon-Tail/Circle Throw - Since those moves are not blocked by Taunt, if I'm not careful, it can shuffle me out and ruin my plans.
- Surprise Magic Coat users - Blocks my Rocks and my Taunts with their superior priority.
- Surprise Sucker Punch/Priority attackers - Most of the time it's easy to see who the priority user will be, but sometimes an opponent has a Pokemon with a priority attack you were not aware and it can get me.
Some replays:
1) http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/uu-34625039 - Slightly annoying battle with a tricky opponent.
2) http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/uu-34604772 - Showcase for Kabutops (pre-nicknames)
2) http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/uu-34604772 - Showcase for Kabutops (pre-nicknames)
Closing Remarks:
My goal for this team after I got my barrings was to have a team with split cores that came together for maximum team cohesion, while still being something I enjoyed. I love Offensive, so this team was up my alley. I feel this team achieved that in covering the vulnerabilities in SmashPass (Priority attacks after defensives are down) with offensive targets to resist and keep ticking, effectively combining the Cores. The team is currently 31-6 and I hope with some improvements and more learning, I can improve upon that.
This team isn't just "LOLSMASHPASSWIN!" all the time. There are times where it takes thought to survive and win.
Rate, Comment, Luvdisc!