Hey guys, I've been around on the forums for a while now trying to take in as much as I can about competitive battling and have put together a team that I think has the most potential and isn't based around Rain or Dragons. I've been playing Pokemon since Gen I and like everyone else I want to be the very best. I've been playing on Showdown since right after the Genesect ban and have had some success with Rain and Dragon teams in the past. This provides a more balanced playstyle that isn't about firing off rain boosted Hydro Pumps or Choice Specs Draco Meteors (which are both great don't get me wrong)
Anyway, on to the team!
The two cores are a VoltTurn core consisting of Landorus-T, Rotom-W and Jirachi and a Psychic-Dark-Fighting core of Alakazam, TTar and Conk.
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Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 200 HP / 64 Atk / 244 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
More often than not this guy leads things off with a scary Intimidate and immediate offensive pressure. The set is standard but I find him and Garchomp to be among my favorite SR users in the tier. I considered a double dance set but felt that he was a better SR user over Tyranitar and Jirachi so I went with the typical bulky offensive pivot. He can come in on Fighting types and take them down to size. Earthquake is a devastating STAB and hits most things very hard. Stone Edge gets those pesky flying types who would otherwise avoid Earthquake and is another solid move. Stealth Rock is a move that you can't really do without - it breaks Multiscale, checks Volcarona, you guys know the deal. U-Turn allows him to scout and keep momentum. One of my favorite assets on any team, the only drawbacks being relatively low speed and key weaknesses to Ice and Water.
Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Alakazam is a boss. IQ of 5000, how do any other Pokemon stand a chance? And don't get me started on that stash. Magic Guard is a ridciulous ability and Focus Sash makes the most of it in my opinion; Kazam serves as a powerful and fast revenge killer who takes two hits to take down. I tried Life Orb to begin with but he serves his purpose better as a revenge killer. I considered going without a scarfer because of this guy. The set is standard: Psyshock for powerful STAB, Focus Blast for dark coverage and to make me rage when it misses, Signal Beam hits Celebi harder than Shadow Ball would and doesn't lose that much damage against Lati@s. Hidden Power allows me to revenge speedy dragons but only if my Sash is unbroken. Most of the time it stays unbroken through careful play but if there were to be two threats then I might run into trouble.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 232 HP / 56 SAtk / 220 Spd
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
I'm impressed that anyone would spend the time on artwork for this guy...he's just a washer! But an important washer because he's a decent check to rain and allows me to take advantage of it myself. Hydro Pump is the only water move on this team in a rainy metagame but it hits most things hard. Volt Switch is key in keeping momentum and often allowing free damage on the switch. Pain Split is a semi useful means of recovery but most of the time there isn't a chance to use it. But it often does come in handy when dealing with full HP opponents. Thunderbolt might be a more useful replacement to hit Skarmory harder and to stay in. Will-O-Wisp is there for the all important burn which turns any physical attacker into a puny weakling. Only grass attacks hit super effectively which makes him able to take a few special hits.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Ice Beam
- Superpower
The surprise factor of this guy makes my day more often than not. Although Scarf TTar is not unheard of, he's rare enough to at least cause trouble. Some matches he can come in and get half the KOs in a match. Crunching those Lati@s who stay in is a great feeling. Stone Edge and Crunch are two important STABs - I don't need to use Pursuit because most Lati@s stay in to avoid being hit by Pursuit but Crunch works its magic. Ice Beam is useful for catching people off guard. It doesn't always OHKO 4x weak Pokemon but it does enough to make it worth a slot. Superpower gets all other Tyranitars aside from those you speed tie with Scarfs. He also acts as my own weather inducer as it's always nice to get rid of Sun and Rain. Most of my team is immune to Sandstorm damage as well. Interesting to note - smart players will notice that they are out sped if we both bring out our weather inducers at the same time. Nothing to do about this other than avoid switching in at the same time.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SDef / 32 Spd
Careful Nature
- Body Slam
- Iron Head
- Wish
- U-turn
This haxxy bastard gives me a way to take Draco Meteors and other special attacks. He has synergy with Rotom in that Rotom takes super effective attacks directed towards Jirachi and vice versa. Body Slam and Iron Head are a deadly combo that allow me to get back at many an opponent. Body Slam has won matches on its own. Wish provides healing for those team members who have no recovery of their own - more often than not Tyranitar and Landorus-T. U-Turn also allows me to scout but it is probably one of the least used moves on the team - at least on Jirachi. Protect may serve better. Really though this guy is a star and manages to find a way onto most of my teams.
Conkeldurr @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- ThunderPunch
- Mach Punch
Finally Conkledurr rounds out the team and completes the Psychic - Dark - Fighting core. I spent the most deliberation on this final member - most of the team came together in my head and I figured this guy would be a good final option. I also considered Lucario and Scizor as strong heavy hitters but went with Conkledurr for his immediate wall breaking abilities. I either need to get better at using him or supporting him because right now he stands out as the most replaceable member of the team. I used the set from Halycon of Light's RMT and am realizing now that my team shares 4/6 pokes with his. Anyway, this guy hits like a truck with all of his various punches. Drain Punch provides the standard STAB attack to inflict maximum punishment. Ice Punch takes care of dragons and Thunderpunch completes the BoltBeam coverage to hurt water types and Skarmoy. Mach Punch provides priority on a team that (which?) lacks it.
General Concerns:
As I mentioned initially, I considered using a double boosting set for Lando. As it is now, none of my team uses set up moves and I feel like that might be what's missing. The role of Stealth Rocker fell to Landorus as he seemed the best suited for the task and had the most opportunities. Jirachi/Tyranitar/Landorus can all set it so I might switch around who gets to use it and give Lando a scarf over Tyranitar. Or Jirachi could be the scarf user as well. Their roles shifted around a lot in my mind and this was the configuration I settled on.
Problems that I need help dealing with:
Multiple speedy/priority threads that only Alakazam can handle - I need a faster Scarfer or a better set of resistances. Alakazam usually ends up as my one shot to stop a Dragon Dance sweeper.
Rain - If Rotom-W goes down I'm pretty much fried by Keldeo Hydro Pump spam. Or really any Water pokemon spamming Hydro Pump. Jirachi is bulky but not bulky enough to take all the attacks. A real issue.
Skarmory - this guy gives me nightmares. Nothing can really break through if played well. Rotom-W is my best bet and then the duty falls to Conkledurr. Even then, Thunderpunch doesn't OHKO and they can go on the offensive with Brave Bird.
Hazards aren't a real concern as most of my team is immune.
I'll update this section with more problems as I think of them.
Thank you for looking at my team! Give me your feedback please, I'm eager to hear it!
Importable:
Anyway, on to the team!
The two cores are a VoltTurn core consisting of Landorus-T, Rotom-W and Jirachi and a Psychic-Dark-Fighting core of Alakazam, TTar and Conk.
.jpg)
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 200 HP / 64 Atk / 244 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
More often than not this guy leads things off with a scary Intimidate and immediate offensive pressure. The set is standard but I find him and Garchomp to be among my favorite SR users in the tier. I considered a double dance set but felt that he was a better SR user over Tyranitar and Jirachi so I went with the typical bulky offensive pivot. He can come in on Fighting types and take them down to size. Earthquake is a devastating STAB and hits most things very hard. Stone Edge gets those pesky flying types who would otherwise avoid Earthquake and is another solid move. Stealth Rock is a move that you can't really do without - it breaks Multiscale, checks Volcarona, you guys know the deal. U-Turn allows him to scout and keep momentum. One of my favorite assets on any team, the only drawbacks being relatively low speed and key weaknesses to Ice and Water.
Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Alakazam is a boss. IQ of 5000, how do any other Pokemon stand a chance? And don't get me started on that stash. Magic Guard is a ridciulous ability and Focus Sash makes the most of it in my opinion; Kazam serves as a powerful and fast revenge killer who takes two hits to take down. I tried Life Orb to begin with but he serves his purpose better as a revenge killer. I considered going without a scarfer because of this guy. The set is standard: Psyshock for powerful STAB, Focus Blast for dark coverage and to make me rage when it misses, Signal Beam hits Celebi harder than Shadow Ball would and doesn't lose that much damage against Lati@s. Hidden Power allows me to revenge speedy dragons but only if my Sash is unbroken. Most of the time it stays unbroken through careful play but if there were to be two threats then I might run into trouble.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 232 HP / 56 SAtk / 220 Spd
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
I'm impressed that anyone would spend the time on artwork for this guy...he's just a washer! But an important washer because he's a decent check to rain and allows me to take advantage of it myself. Hydro Pump is the only water move on this team in a rainy metagame but it hits most things hard. Volt Switch is key in keeping momentum and often allowing free damage on the switch. Pain Split is a semi useful means of recovery but most of the time there isn't a chance to use it. But it often does come in handy when dealing with full HP opponents. Thunderbolt might be a more useful replacement to hit Skarmory harder and to stay in. Will-O-Wisp is there for the all important burn which turns any physical attacker into a puny weakling. Only grass attacks hit super effectively which makes him able to take a few special hits.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Ice Beam
- Superpower
The surprise factor of this guy makes my day more often than not. Although Scarf TTar is not unheard of, he's rare enough to at least cause trouble. Some matches he can come in and get half the KOs in a match. Crunching those Lati@s who stay in is a great feeling. Stone Edge and Crunch are two important STABs - I don't need to use Pursuit because most Lati@s stay in to avoid being hit by Pursuit but Crunch works its magic. Ice Beam is useful for catching people off guard. It doesn't always OHKO 4x weak Pokemon but it does enough to make it worth a slot. Superpower gets all other Tyranitars aside from those you speed tie with Scarfs. He also acts as my own weather inducer as it's always nice to get rid of Sun and Rain. Most of my team is immune to Sandstorm damage as well. Interesting to note - smart players will notice that they are out sped if we both bring out our weather inducers at the same time. Nothing to do about this other than avoid switching in at the same time.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SDef / 32 Spd
Careful Nature
- Body Slam
- Iron Head
- Wish
- U-turn
This haxxy bastard gives me a way to take Draco Meteors and other special attacks. He has synergy with Rotom in that Rotom takes super effective attacks directed towards Jirachi and vice versa. Body Slam and Iron Head are a deadly combo that allow me to get back at many an opponent. Body Slam has won matches on its own. Wish provides healing for those team members who have no recovery of their own - more often than not Tyranitar and Landorus-T. U-Turn also allows me to scout but it is probably one of the least used moves on the team - at least on Jirachi. Protect may serve better. Really though this guy is a star and manages to find a way onto most of my teams.
Conkeldurr @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- ThunderPunch
- Mach Punch
Finally Conkledurr rounds out the team and completes the Psychic - Dark - Fighting core. I spent the most deliberation on this final member - most of the team came together in my head and I figured this guy would be a good final option. I also considered Lucario and Scizor as strong heavy hitters but went with Conkledurr for his immediate wall breaking abilities. I either need to get better at using him or supporting him because right now he stands out as the most replaceable member of the team. I used the set from Halycon of Light's RMT and am realizing now that my team shares 4/6 pokes with his. Anyway, this guy hits like a truck with all of his various punches. Drain Punch provides the standard STAB attack to inflict maximum punishment. Ice Punch takes care of dragons and Thunderpunch completes the BoltBeam coverage to hurt water types and Skarmoy. Mach Punch provides priority on a team that (which?) lacks it.
General Concerns:
As I mentioned initially, I considered using a double boosting set for Lando. As it is now, none of my team uses set up moves and I feel like that might be what's missing. The role of Stealth Rocker fell to Landorus as he seemed the best suited for the task and had the most opportunities. Jirachi/Tyranitar/Landorus can all set it so I might switch around who gets to use it and give Lando a scarf over Tyranitar. Or Jirachi could be the scarf user as well. Their roles shifted around a lot in my mind and this was the configuration I settled on.
Problems that I need help dealing with:
Multiple speedy/priority threads that only Alakazam can handle - I need a faster Scarfer or a better set of resistances. Alakazam usually ends up as my one shot to stop a Dragon Dance sweeper.
Rain - If Rotom-W goes down I'm pretty much fried by Keldeo Hydro Pump spam. Or really any Water pokemon spamming Hydro Pump. Jirachi is bulky but not bulky enough to take all the attacks. A real issue.
Skarmory - this guy gives me nightmares. Nothing can really break through if played well. Rotom-W is my best bet and then the duty falls to Conkledurr. Even then, Thunderpunch doesn't OHKO and they can go on the offensive with Brave Bird.
Hazards aren't a real concern as most of my team is immune.
I'll update this section with more problems as I think of them.
Thank you for looking at my team! Give me your feedback please, I'm eager to hear it!
Importable:
