Gen 3 The Wrath of Salamence (RSE RMT)

[smashlloyd20]

Hello Smogon. This is my most recent third Gen team, and I'm happy with its perforamce so far but it can always get better.

Aerodactyl (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Rock Head
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Double-Edge

Aerodactyl can easily take on many common leads, although he unfortunately cannot do much to Swampert. He is also a dead stop to Salamence, so I try to preserve himas my team struggles with Mence.


Metagross @ Choice Band
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 160 HP / 252 Atk / 96 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Explosion

I was a little hesitant about having 2 CBers on my team at the same time, but I'm very happy with this guy. He bypasses a lot of common CB flaws by virtue of his main attack having a chance to set him up.

Swampert (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SAtk
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Earthquake
- Protect


Swampert is my defensive pivot. Very little can OHKO him, and he serves as another good check for Salamence. He can be switched in on nearly anything besides Celebi, and forces a lot of switches s my sweepers can get in.

Magneton @ Leftovers
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 72 HP / 252 SAtk / 184 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Substitute

The reason that Salamence isn't walled by Skarmory and Forretress. The one role this thing plays is trapping Steel-types and easily murdering them. It can also spread paralysis to help Mence sweep.


Salamence (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 108 SDef / 144 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide

My endgame sweeper. He receives boosts from Celebi, which allow him to easily sweep. Although Dragon Dance may seem pointless, it allows me to boost Speed on a switch-in, putting me in no danger from Aerodactyl and Jolteon.



Celebi @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -SpAtk)
- Shadow Ball
- Baton Pass
- Swords Dance
- Recover

Celebi makes my team tick. It's extremely hard to keep it from setting up, and it can pass to Salamence while constantly Recovering off damage.

 

[Alan]

you have nothing to stop skarm or forry, particularly the former, from setting up spikes on you, except raikou but its easy to bait not-raikou out. you could throw a random fire blast on Aerodactyl, i think it still is a 2HKO.

tauntrados also eats this team alive, since aero is the only thing that is gonna do anything to it once it gets a DD in, i guess mence can get it with intimidate. dd hp grass ttar can give you big problems too. also, nothing to stop BP teams, which aren't very popular but still effective.

 

[Pirotechnix]

(Side note before I begin):

you could throw a random fire blast on Aerodactyl, i think it still is a 2HKO.

Why would you do this? Even without a -SAtk nature you'd have to roll high twice [46-54%] on a no SDef Skarm [uncommon], and that means you're losing an actually useful slot)

Your team in general is going to be slowed considerably by any semi-competent stall team and most competent bulky teams, because you have nothing that really makes the standard walls think particularly hard. Blissey especially, who sees no challenge with Jolly physical attackers who don't like Ice Beams (hint: Blissey won't stay in on a Metagross, especially if it telegraphs Explosion by using Agility). If the opponent can manage to lay down even 2 layers of spikes -- not hard on your team at all - they can just shuffle you to death and you can't do much about it except get desperate with Agiligross and CalmKou.

Jolly Dugtrio/rival Jolly Aerodactyls will cause many problems for your team over time, especially since much of your team can be checked by the same few standard Pokemon. Really, you have very few safe CB switches, especially for the most common CBers. Gengar will be a pest.

To improve the team as it stands, I'd suggest first switching to a non-Agility Metagross set -- preferably a CB set. You're going to be needing to dole out as much damage as possible in as short an amount of time as you can, since you will lose the longer the match drags out. You could also go for a mixed set (Explosion/MMash/HP Grass/Thunderpunch) to help bring some additional checks on some common threats.

Swampert's set is iffy, since Hydro Pump right now is one of your only legitimate ways to surprise a Gengar, but with your Spikes problems losing one of your only legitimate defensive Pokemon to a lot of shuffling won't bode well. Rest over Protect with a Heal Bell Celebi, remember to check on anything that can potentially be packing HP Grass.

Why is Salamence Jolly? I mean, I'm sure it's nice to surprise some things that think it'll be cute to outspeed you, but if you're using it to clear away some threats for Raikou to star, why not go for Adamant and give it some additional power/bulk? If you don't switch to Adamant, I'd suggest dropping a little of that speed and adding some HP - you don't know when a random Ice Beam survival will save your game.

Overall, I can see your team flow, but it's very shaky, and you have to establish momentum very quickly in the match to compensate for its issues.

 

[gene]

half your team is worthless without a magneton, raikou is nearly worthless without a dugtrio. i'd replace raikou with magneton and go for a swords dance passing celebi. jolly salamence is stupid, go for a 270 speed stat instead.

 

[smashlloyd20]

This is why I need to not play Gen 3 for three months after losing all my teams.

Anyways, some major changes being made. Raikou out, Mag in. Celebi is now SD passing to Salamence. The movesets for Salamence and Celebi need some help. Any ideas?

 

[gene]

celebi: sd/shadow ball/recover/bp. go for ~300 speed, max hp, rest in defense

salamence: your current set is fine, since you don't need fire blast. adamant nature, max attack, enough for 270 speed, rest in hp.

 

[smashlloyd20]

Changes made. Thanks for all the help!

 

[(makeup)]

Minor nitpick, but shouldn't Celebi be Jolly instead of Timid?

 

[Crystal_]

No, Shadow ball is a physical move.

BTW, I'll go HP grass Maggy imo.

 

[TM13IceBeam]

um what

He means that Celebi is listed as Timid, but its (+Spd, -SpA).

 

[Crystal_]

Oh yes, Timid lowers Atk. Jolly then.

Timid Nature (+Spd, -SpAtk => Atk)

Ok, sorry, my mistake.