Highway to Hell - dragonuser     
IntroductionHey guys it's dragonuser here, posting my favorite team for the BW1 metagame. BW1 was the metagame I started Pokemon in, and will always be a favorite. Many people consider BW1 stale and are annoyed by the abundance of VoltTurn/Spam teams. This has always disappointed me as I consider BW1 fairly diverse and creative. Perhaps I am a bit biased because of my love for the metagame, but BW1 has always been enjoyable and diverse to me. Anyways, this team was made in preparation for playing Playa in round 2 of the World Cup of Pokemon. I had decided to build around the Latias and Dugtrio core that user Stone Cold had recommended to me. I quickly realized that adding "Sun" would help Latias achieve a sweep, plus Sun has always been one of my favorite playstyles. Almost everyone I know considers Sun very "hit or miss", as it matches up very well vs some playstyles, and very poorly versus some others. The idea of a more reliable sun team had always intrigued, but eluded me. In the end I realized that there isn't any magical Pokemon that will help Sun versus its "miss" playstyle, but rather victory depends more on creativity within the sets of the standard Sun Pokemon. My finished team looked more offensive than I had imagined, but I have yet to be disappointed by it. This team doesn't have any amazing peaks, as it was created long after the BW1 ladder was alive, but has maintained a very high win percentage for me(wcop/frontier/random tournaments). IFM had also used a variation of this team to great success in his World Cup semifinals match against Sogeking. With World Cup over, BW1 is officially coming to a close. So in remembrance of my first metagame I have decided to post one of my favorite and most effective teams. The Team
Latias @ Leftovers The star of the team. Latias has always been under appreciated in my opinion, as it can sweep countless teams easily. Substitute Latias particularly, can be exceedingly deadly and is able to setup on a large portion of the metagame. Additionally, most of Latias's best counters lack reliable recovery, making them easy to wear down. The bulk in this set is ridiculous. To put it in perspective, this guy can setup on Scarf Jirachi and is a death sentence to most VoltTurn teams once opposing Tyranitar's have been removed. Latias benefits so much from being on a Sun team, as troublesome threats like Scizor are checked numerous times over. Latias also helps the team greatly by being a fantastic answer to Stall and a great Pokemon against VoltTurn teams. Latias truly is a fantastic Pokemon, and really shines on a Sun team, and I am surprised it has not seen more usage in this wonderful weather.
Heatran @ Leftovers This guy is the reason this team works so well. When I was looking for interesting sets to add and make my team unique, Tobes showed me this beauty. At that time this set was almost unheard of and was not expected at all and the surprise factor in this set has won me more games than I can count. This Heatran EV spread may look a bit confusing, but is amazing at winning the weather war. The EV spread allows Heatran to outspeed all non-Scarfed Politoeds, while maximizing his attacking power. The rest of the EV's are put in bulk to help him take hits better. Like I said earlier, this Heatran is amazing at winning the weather war, here are a few scenario's on how he works: vs. Defensive Politoed This strategy also works vs opposing Tentacruel's and most other bulky waters. vs. Tyranitar vs. Scarf Politoed
Dugtrio @ Focus Sash A great Pokemon for any Sun Team to consider. It can trap many threatening Pokemon including, but not limited to, Tyranitar, Terrakion, and Heatran. Two of those being Latias's biggest counters. Dugtrio also gives my team one of the most valuable entry hazards, Stealth Rocks. Dugtrio is also my primary answer to CM Roar/Reflect Latias, as he can give it a quick Toxic and watch as the rest of my team slowly stalls it out. Combined with Heatran, Dugtrio makes a fantastic weather winning core, and is a huge part of the reason this team functions so well.
Venusaur @ Leftovers Originally, I used a Substitute Leech Seed Venusaur in this spot, but found the lack of offense to be dangerous at times. BKC then recommended this spread to me. The EV's allow Venusaur to always out speed Choice Scarf Terrakion in the Sun. The remaining EV's are put into bulk letting Venusaur take Choice Banded Bullet Punch's better from Scizor. Other than being my primary Water-Type resist, Venusaur also serves as my secondary Win condition. Venusaur and Latias share many of the same checks and counters, letting either one wear down these checks. This aids the chance of a late game sweep by either Pokemon. With Heatran being trapped by Dugtrio, a fully Special Venusaur really has the chance to shine. Venusaur also gives my team some much needed Speed and is able to pick off weakened threats easily.
Forretress @ Leftovers Like the other Pokemon on my team Forretress serves an irreplaceable role. In this case keeping Stealth Rocks of my field. Keeping Stealth Rocks off isn't only crucial for Ninetales(who greatly appreciates it) but also for Pokemon like Dugtrio. Stealth Rocks would break his sash and prevent him from checking so many Pokemon (Tyranitar included). Forretress lays down very valuable hazards for me, Toxic Spikes. In the rain Heatran can lure, and kill opposing Tentacruel's leaving most Rain Stall teams without a spinner. Once Tentacruel is KO'd, I can start laying Toxic Spikes, which are my most reliable way to beat Blissey/Chansey. Hidden Power Ice is on Forretress solely for its ability to beat Acrobatics Gliscor, who could otherwise run right through my team. Forretress has some very useful resistances, and provides fantastic momentum. With Volt Switch, Forretress can switch out of its standard counters, like Heatran and Tyranitar, and easily go into Dugtrio to trap and KO. Forretress gives my team backbone that is very valuable and neccesary.
Ninetales @ Leftovers Many people have said how terrible Ninetales is, but I really do not understand why. Ninetales is fairly bulky, can burn countless Pokemon, and also acts as a phazer for this team. Of course Ninetales most valuable role is the never ending Sun, but I consider Ninetales a very valuable team player for its other qualities. The EV spread on Ninetales is very important, as it allows Ninetales to outspeed and burn/KO opposing Mamoswine's who have the potential to run through my team. The rest of the EV's were placed in Ninetales bulk, letting me switch into more attacks as well as helping me phaze Pokemon like opposing Substitute Latias and Substitute Hydreigon out. Will-O-Wisp has amazing utility in burning troublesome Pokemon like Tyranitar so it can't lock me in with Pursuit. Hidden Power Rock is mainly used for breaking Air Balloon Heatran's Balloons, as he can be very threatening if left floating. Hidden Power Rock was also suggested to me by The Great Mighty Doom, to help mitigate my weakness to Offensive Volcarona. ImportableConclusionI would like to thank US East for giving me plenty of tests and helpful suggestions. Lunar also deserves a special shout out for testing with me for hours, to make sure the team has little to no holes and for being a great guy to be around. Dracule Mihawk and Cometk also get special mention. I would finally like to thank all of you guys for taking the time to read through my RMT. This team has easily been one of my favorite teams to ever use. It has a somewhat standard look to it, getting the opponent into a confident haze only to be surprised by some of the sets ingenuity. I want to thank you all for taking your time to read through my RMT and hopefully you enjoyed it. I do not plan to update this team for BW2, as I want to start the new metagame fresh. The true purpose behind this RMT was to show people that VoltTurn isn't the only way to succeed in BW1, and that creativity is still alive and well. |