I did quite a bit of competitive stuff in Gen 6 but haven't done much team building in Gen 7 outside of stuff for the battle tree and just goofy theme team stuff so I wanted to take a crack at it (apologies in advance if I missed something in formatting this stuff)
I played quite a bit with this team and won a lot of battles pretty early on but then recently kept losing and losing more (guess that's just ranking for ya)
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Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze => Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Roost
Pretty much what I wanted to try building a team around. In Gen 6 I mainly built around Y for it's nuking power so I wanted to give X a try.
It's the basic 252/252 offensive roost set but it's effective at what it does with that nice tough claws ability crushing things that aren't built for bulk.
FB kills off the annoying SD scizors and ferrothorns while just doing a ton of damage normally. DC kills other dragons that come in to block out any potential fire moves they think it'll use. EQ destroys the poor electric types that think it's a Y set as well as bully the one toxapex that forgets to carry toxic. Roost is just a handy healing move to have when the opponent doesn't go down to a single FB and you need some extra juice to smash into the target again.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Knock Off
I needed some defense for the offence so enter ferrothorn.
The typing makes it a wall for any fairies, seeders & sporers, and anything that doesn't appreciate have leech seeds strewn on them.
SR for sash breaking and giving anything with flames or wings a bad time. Seeds to scare off potential set ups and get that extra healing. Knock off to get rid of leftovers and choice items. Power whip for basic STAB and something to use when they are naked and covered in seeds.
Mantine @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 124 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
To add to the bulk and give a nice GFW core we got mantine.
The defogger and status inflictor of the team that drinks up the scalds and pumps thrown at it on switch. Really good against other water types due to bulk, ability, and toxic/roost spamming.
Scalds got some decent STAB and some burn to thrown on anything that can't be poisoned. Roost to recover some of that health while removing a weakness to any slow rock throwers. Toxic for whittling down the walls that aren't made of steel. Defog sweeps away rocks and webs that give the sweepers a rough time.
Tapu Koko @ Choice Specs
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Dazzling Gleam
I wanted some speedy power that complimented Charizard well so here's some Koko.
Fast sweeper with Specs that help it KO stuff at 100% with just volt switch make it really handy with scaring off anything weak to it even if they have some boosted stats
VS for slapping nonimmune mons before swapping out into something to eat it. T-Bolt cuz that electric terrain + Spec boost makes it a nasty STAB move even though thunder would hit harder. HP Ice for any cheeky ground types like everyone's 'favorite', landorus who think they can survive a hit. Dazzling gleam for more STAB damage that beats down the dark and fighting types and any dragons that HP wouldnt kill on its own
Keldeo-Resolute @ Waterium Z
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Taunt
Wanted to throw in some more power and I haven't used a Keldeo before so I thought I'd wing it.
I use it mostly as an anti lead to deal with obnoxious setup/status/boost moves and boost up when they run away while also punching a hole through anything that doesnt resist a water Zmove. Mantine does well as a bulky water but i Wanted the splash back.
Calm mind is for boosting when they switch out so it can sweep or at least hurt anything that comes in. Hydro Pump for that hard hitting water damage STAB move as well as adding more damage to its Zmove. Secret sword makes threats like tyranitar run away as well as throw those calm mind boosts at a weaker point on a special wall. Taunt is to tell the smeargles, ferrothorns, gliscors, and toxapexs to shut it.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
Psychic types were a bit of an issue so I brought good ole T-Tar to handle them.
Classic choice band pursuit trap that makes choice set psychic types cry as they try to flee as well as provide a sandstorm that breaks any sashes not hit by stealth rocks.
Stone edge for STAB thats useful for fire types like Blacephalon, ZardY, and Volcarona who can't do enough to KO due to sandy special defenses. Crunch for when pursuit isnt enough and they are staying to fight instead of running. Pursuit with CB kills most non defensively built psychic types that either think running is a safer option or they locked themselves into their own choice item and can't do anything else. EQ for if you can afford the lack of STAB boost damage for accuracy or need to not out a pesky electric or poison type
Some weaknesses I've noticed is that there's no electric immunity which is an issue with Koko boosting all it's electric moves by existing.
Keldeo has been effective as an antilead preventing those rocks and webs early on but cant always deal with the switch-ins with only stab moves.
Kartana can pretty much safely attack anything with little worry about switch ins
a lack of priority moves is a problem when revenge killing stuff. I've considered throwing aqua jet onto keldeo just to finish off anything in the red.
Once something gets a boost going it's pretty hard stop them, especially if mantine/ferrothorn isnt out to status them/seed them into fleeing.
Like I said, I'm pretty new to the Gen 7 metagame, especially with all the new stuff thrown in from USUM so any feedback is appreciated.
I played quite a bit with this team and won a lot of battles pretty early on but then recently kept losing and losing more (guess that's just ranking for ya)
Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze => Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Roost
Pretty much what I wanted to try building a team around. In Gen 6 I mainly built around Y for it's nuking power so I wanted to give X a try.
It's the basic 252/252 offensive roost set but it's effective at what it does with that nice tough claws ability crushing things that aren't built for bulk.
FB kills off the annoying SD scizors and ferrothorns while just doing a ton of damage normally. DC kills other dragons that come in to block out any potential fire moves they think it'll use. EQ destroys the poor electric types that think it's a Y set as well as bully the one toxapex that forgets to carry toxic. Roost is just a handy healing move to have when the opponent doesn't go down to a single FB and you need some extra juice to smash into the target again.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Knock Off
I needed some defense for the offence so enter ferrothorn.
The typing makes it a wall for any fairies, seeders & sporers, and anything that doesn't appreciate have leech seeds strewn on them.
SR for sash breaking and giving anything with flames or wings a bad time. Seeds to scare off potential set ups and get that extra healing. Knock off to get rid of leftovers and choice items. Power whip for basic STAB and something to use when they are naked and covered in seeds.
Mantine @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 124 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
To add to the bulk and give a nice GFW core we got mantine.
The defogger and status inflictor of the team that drinks up the scalds and pumps thrown at it on switch. Really good against other water types due to bulk, ability, and toxic/roost spamming.
Scalds got some decent STAB and some burn to thrown on anything that can't be poisoned. Roost to recover some of that health while removing a weakness to any slow rock throwers. Toxic for whittling down the walls that aren't made of steel. Defog sweeps away rocks and webs that give the sweepers a rough time.
Tapu Koko @ Choice Specs
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Dazzling Gleam
I wanted some speedy power that complimented Charizard well so here's some Koko.
Fast sweeper with Specs that help it KO stuff at 100% with just volt switch make it really handy with scaring off anything weak to it even if they have some boosted stats
VS for slapping nonimmune mons before swapping out into something to eat it. T-Bolt cuz that electric terrain + Spec boost makes it a nasty STAB move even though thunder would hit harder. HP Ice for any cheeky ground types like everyone's 'favorite', landorus who think they can survive a hit. Dazzling gleam for more STAB damage that beats down the dark and fighting types and any dragons that HP wouldnt kill on its own
Keldeo-Resolute @ Waterium Z
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Taunt
Wanted to throw in some more power and I haven't used a Keldeo before so I thought I'd wing it.
I use it mostly as an anti lead to deal with obnoxious setup/status/boost moves and boost up when they run away while also punching a hole through anything that doesnt resist a water Zmove. Mantine does well as a bulky water but i Wanted the splash back.
Calm mind is for boosting when they switch out so it can sweep or at least hurt anything that comes in. Hydro Pump for that hard hitting water damage STAB move as well as adding more damage to its Zmove. Secret sword makes threats like tyranitar run away as well as throw those calm mind boosts at a weaker point on a special wall. Taunt is to tell the smeargles, ferrothorns, gliscors, and toxapexs to shut it.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
Psychic types were a bit of an issue so I brought good ole T-Tar to handle them.
Classic choice band pursuit trap that makes choice set psychic types cry as they try to flee as well as provide a sandstorm that breaks any sashes not hit by stealth rocks.
Stone edge for STAB thats useful for fire types like Blacephalon, ZardY, and Volcarona who can't do enough to KO due to sandy special defenses. Crunch for when pursuit isnt enough and they are staying to fight instead of running. Pursuit with CB kills most non defensively built psychic types that either think running is a safer option or they locked themselves into their own choice item and can't do anything else. EQ for if you can afford the lack of STAB boost damage for accuracy or need to not out a pesky electric or poison type
Some weaknesses I've noticed is that there's no electric immunity which is an issue with Koko boosting all it's electric moves by existing.
Keldeo has been effective as an antilead preventing those rocks and webs early on but cant always deal with the switch-ins with only stab moves.
Kartana can pretty much safely attack anything with little worry about switch ins
a lack of priority moves is a problem when revenge killing stuff. I've considered throwing aqua jet onto keldeo just to finish off anything in the red.
Once something gets a boost going it's pretty hard stop them, especially if mantine/ferrothorn isnt out to status them/seed them into fleeing.
Like I said, I'm pretty new to the Gen 7 metagame, especially with all the new stuff thrown in from USUM so any feedback is appreciated.
