Background: Well, my cousin is having a Chess Tournament in his High School. (No he's not a nerd. :P) Anyways, after playing a few games with him, I saw his battle strategy. He used a quick Pull - In - Pull - Out - King technique. After seeing him do that for a while, I decided to create a team based around that strategy. I would use the King to help the rest of my team in weakening the opponent and then finish off with the king. As with Chess, Pokemon Teams are sometimes based around the fact that if your King and Queen die, you lose the game. But not with my team; I've decided to work around that: If I lose my King and/or Queen, the rest of my team should be able to finish off the opposing team in order to gain victory. Similarily to Chess, the King doesn't always play a big role in the beginning as he does later on in the game. So, without future adu, here's the team that should secure me a Checkmate:
Team Building: El Peon was the last guy to be introduced to my team. After reviewing my team, I decided that I needed a Stealth Rocker. I also decided that I needed another Water Pokemon, as Saint Slow can't take a huge load of hits. The first Pokemon to come to my mind was Swampert. He provided me with the bulk, power, and dual STABs that were very useful. Not to mention that he had Stealth Rock.
Move Selection: El Peon gave me 3 things, as stated above, that put it before other Stealth Rockers. Bulk, Power, and useful dual STABs. With that in mind, I put the most important move, the one that gave it it's position for lead: Stealth Rock. The most game breaking move on a Pokemon with high bulk. From there, I added dual STABs, Surf and Earthquake, for a mixed view. The last slot is where I deal with Ninjask. Roar is perfect for my team due to it's lack of speed, so I can't afford Pokemon to begin setting up on my team.
Team Building: Saint Slow came to be on this team for two reasons: 1) Being able to Counter Machamp's Dynamic Punch and 2) Being able to paralyze and heal at the same time. This guy sort of glues the whole team together. This is the Go - To - Guy when I'm in trouble. He's the first switch in, if a Fire Attack is predicted to Scizor (if The White Rook is dead/it's too early in the game to reveal the White Rook) or a Fighting attack to Tyranitar. For that specific reason, I decided to choose this Saint. If one of my team members have sinned, this guy forgives and forgets.
Move Selection: As I stated before, Saint Slow is the 'glue' for this team. As such, he needs all the bulk he can get. If Queen Elia's Reflect is up, then this guy can wall from both sides of the spectrum. For that reason, and the fact that this guy is bulky, I decided to begin with Slack Off. This helps me to restore of Machamp's attacks as well as wall for the rest of the team. I then began thinking about Zapdos & Machamp and how they can function well if they aren't statused. So the next move came as Thunder Wave. This slows down Machamp as well as non-Subbing Zapdos. Which moves to my next point. If Zapdos does have Sub, then Ice Beam messes up all it's plans to screw up Saint Slow here. Even if Saint Slow is slow (paralysis), it can still hit back with STAB Surf. So there's no reason Saint Slow should die early in the battle; unless due to unpredicted Explosion/Critical hits.
Team Building: King Zor is the main man. He goes into the game kind of slowly. U-Turning out of Zapdos, Magnezone, Gyarados and Salamence, he switches to appropriate counters. While slowly approaching Mid-game, he throws a few Pursuits and Superpowers and then works with the Dark Knight to finish off the opposing team with Bullet Punch. If I get caught with Magnezone, I need to do as much damage as possible. Although, no Magnezone would come in on a Superpower.
Move Selection: U-Turn made me put on Choice Band on King Zor. STAB + Technician + Adament + 252 Atk EVs + Choice Band = Really High damage even when resisted. Bullet Punch made me... Whoops! I said that already. Anyways, CB STABnician Bullet Punch is just amazing. Finishing off any weakened opponents is just crazy. Superpower and Pursuit are just fillers. They help me against Starmie and Gengar who are caught in the wrong move. (Too bad for them. :P) Superpower OHKOs various Steels and Rocks such as Tyranitar, Heatran and even Magnezone.
Name: Dragon Knight
Gender: Male
Item: Leftovers/Life Orb/Wacan Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
Moveset:
- Dragon Dance -
- Ice Fang -
- Stone Edge -
- Waterfall -
Name: Mushroom Knight
Gender: Male
Item: Toxic Orb/Life Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 44 HP/252 Atk/212 Spd
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
Moveset:
- Swords Dance -
- Seed Bomb -
- Mach Punch -
- Stone Edge -
Look from Above the Chessboard:
Up Close:
The Pawn:
Name: El Peon
Gender: Male
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 236 HP/220 Def/52 SAtk
Nature: Relaxed (+Def, -Spd)
Moveset:
- Stealth Rock -
- Surf -
- Earthquake -
- Roar -
Gender: Male
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 236 HP/220 Def/52 SAtk
Nature: Relaxed (+Def, -Spd)
Moveset:
- Stealth Rock -
- Surf -
- Earthquake -
- Roar -
Team Building: El Peon was the last guy to be introduced to my team. After reviewing my team, I decided that I needed a Stealth Rocker. I also decided that I needed another Water Pokemon, as Saint Slow can't take a huge load of hits. The first Pokemon to come to my mind was Swampert. He provided me with the bulk, power, and dual STABs that were very useful. Not to mention that he had Stealth Rock.
Move Selection: El Peon gave me 3 things, as stated above, that put it before other Stealth Rockers. Bulk, Power, and useful dual STABs. With that in mind, I put the most important move, the one that gave it it's position for lead: Stealth Rock. The most game breaking move on a Pokemon with high bulk. From there, I added dual STABs, Surf and Earthquake, for a mixed view. The last slot is where I deal with Ninjask. Roar is perfect for my team due to it's lack of speed, so I can't afford Pokemon to begin setting up on my team.
The Bishop:
Name: Saint Slow
Gender: Male
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 212 HP/252 Def/44 SAtk
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
Moveset:
- Surf -
- Ice Beam -
- Thunder Wave -
- Slack Off -
Gender: Male
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 212 HP/252 Def/44 SAtk
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
Moveset:
- Surf -
- Ice Beam -
- Thunder Wave -
- Slack Off -
Team Building: Saint Slow came to be on this team for two reasons: 1) Being able to Counter Machamp's Dynamic Punch and 2) Being able to paralyze and heal at the same time. This guy sort of glues the whole team together. This is the Go - To - Guy when I'm in trouble. He's the first switch in, if a Fire Attack is predicted to Scizor (if The White Rook is dead/it's too early in the game to reveal the White Rook) or a Fighting attack to Tyranitar. For that specific reason, I decided to choose this Saint. If one of my team members have sinned, this guy forgives and forgets.
Move Selection: As I stated before, Saint Slow is the 'glue' for this team. As such, he needs all the bulk he can get. If Queen Elia's Reflect is up, then this guy can wall from both sides of the spectrum. For that reason, and the fact that this guy is bulky, I decided to begin with Slack Off. This helps me to restore of Machamp's attacks as well as wall for the rest of the team. I then began thinking about Zapdos & Machamp and how they can function well if they aren't statused. So the next move came as Thunder Wave. This slows down Machamp as well as non-Subbing Zapdos. Which moves to my next point. If Zapdos does have Sub, then Ice Beam messes up all it's plans to screw up Saint Slow here. Even if Saint Slow is slow (paralysis), it can still hit back with STAB Surf. So there's no reason Saint Slow should die early in the battle; unless due to unpredicted Explosion/Critical hits.
The Rook:
Name: White Rook
Gender: Male
Item: Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Nature: Naive (+Spd, -SDef)
Moveset:
- Fire Blast -
- Earth Power -
- Dragon Pulse -
- Explosion -
Gender: Male
Item: Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Nature: Naive (+Spd, -SDef)
Moveset:
- Fire Blast -
- Earth Power -
- Dragon Pulse -
- Explosion -
Team Building: The White Rook gives me the power from the Special side of the attacking tree. With Choice Specs, his damage is superbly increased. Even Blissey has a tough time switching in. He works with King Zor to take down the popular SkarmBliss. With a STAB that hurts all, it's not hard for the White Rook to switch in.
Move Selection: I began with STAB. Fire Blast helps to OHKO Infernape if it has taken any previous damage like Stealth Rock, Sand Storm, Life Orb and/or previous damage. Moving from there, I saw that opposing Heatran causes my team a problem. To remedy that, I put in Earth Power. This OHKOs Poisons, Electrics, Fires and Rocks that decide to switch in. Dragon Pulse 2HKOs Latias. With that kind of power, who wouldn't want to use Heatran? Explosion is just a little bonus. This OHKOs Blissey and other annoying Pokemon. Even if I had Trick, Explosion would still be the superior option, on all Pokemon barring Blissey who still gets OHKOed.
The King:
Name: King Zor
Gender: Male
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk/56 Spd/200 SDef
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
Moveset:
- Bullet Punch -
- Pursuit -
- Superpower -
- U-turn -
Gender: Male
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk/56 Spd/200 SDef
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
Moveset:
- Bullet Punch -
- Pursuit -
- Superpower -
- U-turn -
Team Building: King Zor is the main man. He goes into the game kind of slowly. U-Turning out of Zapdos, Magnezone, Gyarados and Salamence, he switches to appropriate counters. While slowly approaching Mid-game, he throws a few Pursuits and Superpowers and then works with the Dark Knight to finish off the opposing team with Bullet Punch. If I get caught with Magnezone, I need to do as much damage as possible. Although, no Magnezone would come in on a Superpower.
Move Selection: U-Turn made me put on Choice Band on King Zor. STAB + Technician + Adament + 252 Atk EVs + Choice Band = Really High damage even when resisted. Bullet Punch made me... Whoops! I said that already. Anyways, CB STABnician Bullet Punch is just amazing. Finishing off any weakened opponents is just crazy. Superpower and Pursuit are just fillers. They help me against Starmie and Gengar who are caught in the wrong move. (Too bad for them. :P) Superpower OHKOs various Steels and Rocks such as Tyranitar, Heatran and even Magnezone.
The Queen:
Name: Queen Elia
Gender: Female
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 204 HP/252 Def/4 SAtk/48 SDef
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
Moveset:
- Charge Beam -
- Ice Beam -
- Reflect -
- Rest -
Gender: Female
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 204 HP/252 Def/4 SAtk/48 SDef
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
Moveset:
- Charge Beam -
- Ice Beam -
- Reflect -
- Rest -
Team Building: Queen Elia. She's the one that stops my team from getting finished by Gyarados, Zapdos, Salamence, Flygon, Gliscor and Dragonite. Most of them hit for Physical so her bulk and her moveset help me to fix that. No reason to worry when I can heal off the damage and outstall opposing teams.
Move Selection: I went for a strong BoltBeam combo. Charge Beam helps against Gyarados as well as netting me a few Special Attack boosts. When the Gyarados is dead, Ice Beam helps me to finish off Zapdos, Salamence, Flygon, Gliscor and Dragonite. BoltBeam is only resisted by Magnezone and Lanturn. The latter is barely seen and since the former has Explosion, I set up Reflect. Reflect helps Tyranitar and Heatran survive Physical attacks as they are very commonly used against them. (Close Combat/Earthquake >.<) Rest is just an added bonus. When I get a chance, I can outstall Zapdos and Blissey with the boosts from Charge Beam and then finish with Ice Beam while Resting and Reflecting against Physical attacks.
The Knight:
Name: Dark Knight
Gender: Male
Item: Babiri Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Nature: Jolly (+Spd, -SAtk)
Moveset:
- Dragon Dance -
- Crunch -
- Stone Edge -
- Fire Punch -
Gender: Male
Item: Babiri Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Nature: Jolly (+Spd, -SAtk)
Moveset:
- Dragon Dance -
- Crunch -
- Stone Edge -
- Fire Punch -
Team Building: The Dark Knight is like the 2nd 'glue' of this team. He patches up the team with an attempt at a mid-game sweep. From there, King Zor finishes it up. With Reflect up from Queen Elia, not even STABed Close Combats OHKO the Dark Knight. He makes up for the lack of Speed. At mid-game, I begin a sweep and the Dark Knight can't be stopped. His speed and power become extremely high. With dual STABs and a finishing move, the Dark Knight can sometimes give me a 6-0.
Move Selection: In order to give me the damage, I began with Dragon Dance. This boosts my Speed and Power to atrocious levels. From there, I use my Dual STABs, Crunch and Stone Edge, to hit everything for neutral, barring Empoleon and Lucario. For Lucario, specifically, I have Earthquake. This also hits Empoleon, so I'm lucky. Speaking of Earthquake, that's my finishing move. When I can't hit with Stone Edge or Crunch, which is very rare, I use Fire Punch. This gives me an OHKO on Lucario, Scizor and Breloom. All of them are very annoying.
Currently Testing:
Over the Dark Knight:
Name: Dragon Knight
Gender: Male
Item: Leftovers/Life Orb/Wacan Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
Moveset:
- Dragon Dance -
- Ice Fang -
- Stone Edge -
- Waterfall -
Future Testing over the Dark Knight:
Name: Mushroom Knight
Gender: Male
Item: Toxic Orb/Life Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 44 HP/252 Atk/212 Spd
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
Moveset:
- Swords Dance -
- Seed Bomb -
- Mach Punch -
- Stone Edge -
Final Words: Well after spending a few hours reading a few discussion thread in the general socialization area, I've picked up a few things on Lures, Choice Items, Predictions and Double Switching. Those readings have greatly contributed to building this team.
Issues:
- Should I use Dragon Dance Gyarados or Swords Dance Breloom over Tyranitar? They're both almost 100% better at using Reflect.
Especially Gyarados since only few Pokemon with Thunderbolt are faster than Gyarados after a Dragon Dance. Also, with Reflect, Outrages and Stone Edges are absorbed with ease. Not to mention that I can also Dragon Dance twice to get +1 attack if I'm Intimidated under Reflect.
Breloom would slightly have a tougher time using Reflect seeing as Choice Scarf Heatran OHKOs with Fire Blast. If I put Spore, Swords Dance, Mach Punch, Seed Bomb, I can get rid of Heatran and still deal with Scizor. But I can also replace Spore with Stone Edge to give me full capability of the high attack. Need some help here. I put a description of each above. If I do replace Tyranitar, who should go in it's place, Gyarados or Breloom? And what item should they be using?
- Better EV spread for Cresselia. I'd like to keep the HP and Defense EVs, because the HP EVs are a Leftovers number and the Defense EVs are for maximum Defense. I need a better EV spread for the last 52 EVs. I have a problem with not OHKOing Breloom on the Switch with Ice Beam (and no Special Attack bonuses) so if someone can help me with that, I'd be appreciated.
- Should I use Dragon Dance Gyarados or Swords Dance Breloom over Tyranitar? They're both almost 100% better at using Reflect.
Especially Gyarados since only few Pokemon with Thunderbolt are faster than Gyarados after a Dragon Dance. Also, with Reflect, Outrages and Stone Edges are absorbed with ease. Not to mention that I can also Dragon Dance twice to get +1 attack if I'm Intimidated under Reflect.
Breloom would slightly have a tougher time using Reflect seeing as Choice Scarf Heatran OHKOs with Fire Blast. If I put Spore, Swords Dance, Mach Punch, Seed Bomb, I can get rid of Heatran and still deal with Scizor. But I can also replace Spore with Stone Edge to give me full capability of the high attack. Need some help here. I put a description of each above. If I do replace Tyranitar, who should go in it's place, Gyarados or Breloom? And what item should they be using?
- Better EV spread for Cresselia. I'd like to keep the HP and Defense EVs, because the HP EVs are a Leftovers number and the Defense EVs are for maximum Defense. I need a better EV spread for the last 52 EVs. I have a problem with not OHKOing Breloom on the Switch with Ice Beam (and no Special Attack bonuses) so if someone can help me with that, I'd be appreciated.
Thanks for viewing my team.
