Tyranitar Team

[Phuquoph]

I know I posted a team quite recently, but if you read the end of this post you'll see why I chose to post this now.

Team Strategy

Mostly centered around setting up a sweep for Tyranitar. More defensive than my previous teams, but I still have good offense from all team members. I've also tried to make life difficult for any sweepers who require set ups. Not a TSS team as such, but I always try to have at least two other team members immune to SandStream when using Tyranitar, I ended up with four.

Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Trait: Hard Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 6 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- Roar

A monster, both defensively and offensively - even with practically no Attack EVs. Sets up an early Stealth Rock and provides cover against starting Ninjasks. A fantastic physical wall and attacker.

Mesprit @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 204 HP / 208 Def / 96 SAtk
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Somersault
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave

Always good to have a BoltBeamer on your team, especially one with nicely rounded stats. He also makes a good all in one Gyarados and Garchomp counter, plus he survives Schemed Flamethrowers from Azelf and Infernape allowing him to paralyze them.

Somersault will be a likely lead off to scout for Pursuiters and get in a light hit on them. Thunder Wave for some paralysis support as much of the team is slow, but I'm still considering other options here. Psychic, Light Screen, Yawn or Grass Rope all seem viable. Any thoughts on this?

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 240 HP / 56 Atk / 76 Def / 136 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Wish
- Reflect
- Psychic Headbutt
- Somersault

It's back. With the team's general strategy being to wear down the opposition, Jirachi's Wish and Reflect support help a great deal.

Gliscor @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 244 HP / 88 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Aerial Ace
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Taunt

Knock Off is a really cool move on Gliscor, drawing in such annoyances as Suicune, Milotic, Skarmory and others. None of which will like being relieved of their items. Taunt prevents switch-ins getting a free set up too.

Oh, he counters Heracross too as CB Stone Edge does 41 - 48%.

Magnezone @ Beautiful Skin
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 228 HP / 252 SAtk / 28 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Grass
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

I considered Empoleon here, but Magnezone won in the end. I needed this to take status (mostly from Gengar and Dusknoir, I'll have to beware of Fighting attacks from either though). Beautiful Skin is to avoid Dugtrio and other Magnet Pullers.

Powerful Thunderbolts help keep Gyarados and other Waters at bay. Rest and Sleep Talk help to make up for his lack of Leftovers too, especially as his typing makes it difficult for him to recieve Wish passes.

Hidden Power Grass can OHKO Swampert, who can otherwise cause problems for the team. I'll have to try and lure it into Ice Beaming Gliscor to get Magnezone in though.

Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

The heart of the team. Good old DD Tyranitar, but with a more powerful STAB move. Crunch over Taunt to increase sweeping potential, which is the same reason he is Jolly and not Adamant.

Threat Analysis

I ran through the threat list and appear to have no really severe problems. Mixed Infernape is a slight problem, but Mesprit can survive a Schemed Flamethrower and paralyze it. Thankfully, it has no easy switch-in but could be a problem nevertheless.

Spikes/Stealth Rock: No spinner, but two of the team are immune to Spikes, no one is weak to Stealth Rock and three teams members are resistant. Taunt, two Thunderbolts and two powerful STAB Stone Edges, plus Magnezone's Magnet Pull and Gliscor's Knock Off should be enough to keep Skarmory from setting up.

Wobbuffet, DT and OHKOs

In light of the recent poll I decided to see how my team fares against Wobbuffet, DT and OHKOS.

Wobbuffet: Taunt, SandStream, Knock Off, Two Somersaulters (but no Ghost, so that's a bit of a problem), Beautiful Skin on Magnezone, Roar on Rhyperior. So he can only trap two Pokemon, one of which has Taunt. Gliscor can just Taunt, Knock Off (Countering it back won't hurt much) then keeping Taunting until Wobby gets bored and switches out.

DT: I've got a phazer, which obviously helps a little. Taunt also helps, Gliscor's Aerial Ace can work against some DT users if they don't resist Flying. Shock Wave on Magnezone? Maybe not.

OHKOs: Mesprit and Gliscor are immune to Fissure. I could always switch Magnezone to Sturdy, Skarmory is more of an annoyance to the team than a threat.

I should point out that I did not consider Wobbuffet, DT or OHKOs when constructing this team. I ran through a "threat down" on them only after I finished making it.

 

[Jumpman16]

Weavile may be a bit of a pest, especially an SD/IP/BB/Blade Test one, but it can only really come in on Mesprit and maybe Jirachi and you can kind of scout it anyway.

Nobody will use it, but Cursepert will be a bitch too. Curse with Waterfall and Earthquake won't be fun to face, nor will any Swampert for that matter. It's not on the threat checklist but it should still be noted as far as your team is concerned.

In theory, I've always liked DD Tyranitar to be Jolly, and I think you may prefer that. You may also not really want Taunt, and prefer Crunch instead. In 2004 I used to refer to DD Tyranitar as the checkmate pokemon, which will remain true in DP if you play your cards right. This involves setting up Stealth Rock like you intend, Knocking Off Leftovers on bulky waters like you said, and not bringing out Tyranitar until late-game, which I feel is a fair enough assumption even if that's not why you listed it last. But with Crunch, you have a much better chance of taking out a weakened Swampert, who, as I stated above, otherwise can be alive and well to give you problems.

 

[Phuquoph]

Grass Rope on Mesprit might be in order to take care of Swampert then. Unfortunately, that means dropping Thunder Wave which gives me problems with Azelf and mixed Infernape. Hidden Power Grass on Magnezone could help, but I'll need to weaken Swampert a bit first.

I'll have to check but I think Rhyperior can survive a SD Ice Punch from Weavile.

 

[CPU]

Yes, it easily can, even if its holding the Life Orb.

 

[Synesthetic]

Weavile's SD Ice Punch deals 47%-55% damage to your Rhyperior.
If Weavile holds a Life Orb, it deals 61%-72% damage.

 

[-FL-]

Really nice team, but a slight "weak" to Earthquake having 4 pokes that are weak against it but 2 pokes that are not affected by it.

As you've read, a Swampert might give you problems, and if you solve your Swampert problems, the Infernape problems is what you face. However, I think you won't have problem handling those 2 pokes.

Finally, I'll have to say that a Water-type with a Stat-up move (Slowbro, Manaphy or Suicune) might give you problems seeing as Rhyperior can't Roar them out, Mesprit won't hurt them with Thunderbolt after a couple of CMs and Magnezone gets owned by a Calm Minded / Tail Glowed Surf.

 

[Phuquoph]

Thanks.

I guess I'm doing the calculations for Hard Rock wrong (I had a feeling I was).

How much does Metagross's Meteor Mash and Raikou's HP Ice do to the same Rhyperior?

Changed Tyranitar and Magnezone a bit.

Magnezone can take 2 (possibly 3) CMed Surfs, Mesprit can survive a Tail Glow Surf and paralyze Manaphy. Then it'll either finish it off with Thunderbolt or leave it for Magnezone.

Maybe I should reconsider Empoleon.

 

[CPU]

222-262 for CB Metagross Meteor Mash
166-196 for non-CMed HP Ice from Raikou
333-392 for non-CMed HP Grass Raikou
All of these are numbers of damage, and based on the fact that the attacker has maximum attacking stat.

 

[Phuquoph]

Thanks CPU, very helpful indeed.

 

[ViralKite]

I suspect Infernape as a popular lead. Anyways I dunno but I am paranoid about Infernape and Azelf so I'd make sure not to lose Thunder Wave. Crunch on Tyranitar really looks nice. I really think you could somehow work around your Swampert problem. I'd give that team a try when D/P comes out and change it if Swampert gives you that much trouble. But yeah I'd say keep Grass Rope off Mesprit for now but your choice! Great team though. I'm glad I see something new leading off on this RMT.

 

[phatJacob07]

How well does AGMence fair against your team? Provided the standard AGMence is Meteoric Swarm/Dragon Pulse/Flamethrower/Hydro Pump, it hits 4 of your team hard with just a MS, and hits the Steels especially hard with Flamethrower. I haven't run any numbers, though, so I could be completely wrong.

 

[Phuquoph]

I think Blissey, Cresselia and Empoleon are the only ones that can afford to switch into CG Salamence without much risk. Unless you have either of those three, it's pretty much predict or die against CG Salamence.

 

[Seph]

I suspect Infernape as a popular lead. Anyways I dunno but I am paranoid about Infernape and Azelf so I'd make sure not to lose Thunder Wave. Crunch on Tyranitar really looks nice. I really think you could somehow work around your Swampert problem. I'd give that team a try when D/P comes out and change it if Swampert gives you that much trouble. But yeah I'd say keep Grass Rope off Mesprit for now but your choice! Great team though. I'm glad I see something new leading off on this RMT.

Starting with infernape is bad, trust me. Gengy, mence (both versions), garchomp, cresselia (thx to me), swampert, azelf, or any CS'd pokemon are popular leads. Infernape loses to all of them and he has no business starting.

 

[X-Act]

Seems like a good team. It's interesting as this is one of those rare teams that has 0 bulky waters, and yet it feels as though it has one.

I can't offer you advice on this one, since I'd be the first person to admit that I'm not very proficient in the creation and rating of teams. However, I'd like to note that your RMT writing style is excellent. It's not a drag to read, it explains everything clearly... it is very well-written overall. Well done.

PS: Oh, and you're the first one who's considering Wobbuffet/DT/OHKO in your RMT. :]!

 

[Phuquoph]

I've got two bulky ground types, so that makes up for the lack of a water somewhat. Swampert almost got in, but I wanted something different.

Better to be prepared for the possible Wobb/DT/OHKO onslaught (hurray for Walrein in OU), even if it is by accident.