Greetings. I am a major noob at competitive battling, having only been introduced to it recently. I have decided to make a team that utilises great synergy, and serves multiple purposes. So, without further ado...
AT A GLANCE:
CLOSER SHOWING:
Gliscor:
Jolly Nature, Sand Veil,
Yache Berry, 216Speed, 204HP, 88Atk
I was looking for a suitable lead on my team, and then I saw this pretty scorpion. His high speed, coupled with his natural bulk and decent attacking prowess, makes Gliscor quite an ideal lead for setting up Stealth Rock. Against quicker leads, he either sets up the rocks without much hassle, or Earthquakes them, but against slower, bulkier leads, he can just Taunt them to stop the opposing Stealth Rock from being layed, or he could Knock Off their item and make them slightly less of a threat in the late game. In short, Gliscor can serve as a bulky lead or a suicide lead, depending on the situation. Sand Veil is there so that Gliscor can annoy people later on if the opponent has a Tyranitar.
: Stealth Rock: Arguably the most common move in the game, an essential choice for any lead.
: Earthquake: A staple on Gliscor. One of the best physical moves in the game, plus STAB and x2 damage on Steel types? Count this in.
: Taunt: Gliscors way of torturing slower leads. He prevents them from setting up the Rocks, then switches out into something that can beat its adversary.
: Knock Off: This move may seem odd on such a fast Gliscor, but believe me, it has proven to be very useful against its common switch-ins. Nobody likes losing their item after all!
Weaknesses:
Potential problems: I was thinking of putting Roost or X-Scissor on Gliscor, but all the moves it has right now are very useful for it.
Vaporeon:
Bold nature, Water Absorb,
Leftovers, 252Def, 188HP, 68SpAtk
Water is a fantastic type. There's a very very good reason why the term bulky water is so well known. Vaporeon is one that sees very high usage, mainly due to it's ability to pass Wish unto other members of the team. I noticed that Vaporeons synergy is fantastic with Gliscor, as it can switch in easily on either of Gliscors weaknesses, whilst Gliscor is immune to Vaporeons electric weakness, and grass type moves are fairly rare anyway. People often tend to underestimate Vaporeons attacking prowess, as its special attack is pretty impressive.
: Surf: Obvious choice. Surf is a fantastic water move, and with Vaporeons impressive base 110 Special Attack, Surf can hurt quite a bit.
: Hidden Power: This allows Vaporeon to become a very efficient Gyarados counter. With Vaporeons high defence, it can usually survive a +1 Earthquake, and OHKO back with this move.
: Protect: This can allow Vaporeon to become a stalling machine, and it also ensures that Wish has its full effect if used as self recovery.
: Wish: The reason why Vaporeon is #18 on the OU rankings. Vaporeon can recover half its health, or pass it onto another weakened teammate.
Weaknesses:
Potential problems: Nothing major encountered so far, although it has problems against Crocune.
Heatran:
Naive nature, Flash Fire,
Choice Scarf, 252Speed, 252SpAtk, 4 Atk
Looking further at the synergy aspect of this team, I decided to add a Heatran on my team, to absorb the occasional Grass attack. Of course, it's the bog standard Choice Scarf set. Boring as heck, but extremely effective. Nothing (except for sucky Ninjask) can outspeed this magma beast without a boost. Heatran is undoubtedly the 2nd best fire type in the game (1st is Ho-oh), and for very good reason. With a massive 130 base Special Attack, it can drill right into its foes with its powerful moves. Heatran isn't a defensive slouch either. Base 106 defences allows it to take a non-ground hit or 2 before going down.
: Fire Blast: I'm normally a very accuracy wary person, but the sheer power that Fire Blast presents was too enticing for me to ignore. With Stealth Rock up, many 2HKOs become OHKOs, and a base 120 power move commanded by a base 130 Special Attack is insanely powerful.
: Earth Power: An obvious choice. Heatran wouldn't be able to cope with himself if he didn't have this move.
: Hidden Power: This allows me to take care of that pesky midget dragon Salamence. Poor dragon won't know it's coming =D
: Explosion: Where would a Heatran be without this move. If it couldn't explode in a gory magma mess, Blissey would wall this set all day. It also serves as the ideal move to use against something Heatran can't beat. (If I go down, I'm taking you with me! -Andross)
Weaknesses:
Potential Problems: It's just a pity Heatran can't learn Grass Knot... I'd replace Explosion in favour of this otherwise... I originally had Hidden Power Grass and Dragon Pulse on this, but I needed something that could OHKO Mence, so I had to rid myself of the Swampert killer. Dragon Pulse had poor coverage with HPIce, so I decided to put Explosion on. Moving along, Heatran has to Explode to rid itself of bulky waters like Swampert and Vaporeon, so that's a major weakness.
(BOOOOOOOO!)
Scizor:
Adamant nature, Technician,Leftovers, 252 Atk, 200HP, 56Speed
Well, every team has to have a Scizor, right? This Scizor focuses more on its large bulk than its massive Attack. I decided to add a Scizor because it can easily switch in and wreak havoc. It can switch in on anything that is unable to threaten it, and start setting up. It can then unleash its wrath on the unfortunate Pokemon switching in.
: Swords Dance: Though Swords Dance has seen less use compared to when Platinum was first released, Scizor can still be very dangerous with it. A +2 Attack boost is very attracting when you consider Scizors already huge 130 base Attack stat.
: Bullet Punch: How could any Scizor cope without this move? Its undeniable coolness aside, a 90 base power move factoring in Technician and STAB? Check. Priority? Check. No Scizor should go past the woods without this move.
: Superpower: Scizor also recieved this little treat of a move in Platinum. Whilst it does have the unfortunate side-effect of slightly lowering your attack and defence, the overwhelming power it presents is too much to ignore. Besides, it can always switch out of its opponent anyway to negate the losses.
: Roost: Although Scizor isn't a flying type, Roost still allows it to recover half of its health if its feeling a bit down. This contributes largely to Scizors bulk.
Weaknesses:
Potential Problems: I've noticed that a Bug Type move (Bug Bite would be preferred, although U-Turn is still useful) would be fairly useful on Scizor, but like Gliscor, all of its moves are very good, and I don't really want to change the whole set (especially not to a Choice Band set).
Gyarados:
Jolly nature, Intimidate,Leftovers, 184Speed, 156HP, 96Def, 72Atk
This Pokemon... is an utter monster. Gyarados is arguably the most improved Pokemon from the 3rd Gen. to the 4th. Similarly to Scizor, I decided to make Gyarados a little bit more bulky in exchange for less power. Dragon Dance is very obvious, allowing Gyarados to boost its high attack and mediocre speed, then when the time comes, strike!
: Dragon Dance: The move that made Gyarados a star. Dragon Dance allows a boost to Gyarados' very high attack and mediocre speed stats. Even after just 1 Dragon Dance, you can massacre most of the opponents team.
: Waterfall: An obvious choice. Waterfall is Gyarados' new and most definately improved STAB. After a Dragon Dance, this can do massive amounts of damage to its unfortunate opponent.
: Taunt: This move is very fun to use. It allows Gyarados to stop fellow stat uppers right in their tracks, whilst Gyarados just keeps on dancin'.
: Payback: This is a very odd choice, but it can allow Gyarados to have a move that can hit the Rotom Formes hard. I might change this slot to be honest, as I haven't seen much use for it elsewhere.
Weaknesses:
Potential Problems: I don't really know what to put for Gyarados' moveset. Other than that, the Rotom Appliances completely own him. I might try out Stone Edge in place of Payback, but its accuracy somewhat puts me off.
Tyranitar:
Adamant nature, Sand Stream,
Choice Band, 252Atk, 164HP, 90Spd
Originally, this team had a Starmie in its place. But, taking note of a suggestion from AceAttorney (many thanks for helping me!), I have decided to fit a Tyranitar here. Whilst I am unsure of how easy it is to switch in on and how good its synergy is in comparison to the other team members, it still worked well when I used it. It trades the Rapid Spinner and (somewhat) Mixape check I had from Starmie with a 1.5X special defence boost for Scizor, Gliscor and Heatran, as well as a great check to the Rotom Appliances and Latias. This thing has absolutely monstrous power, which more than makes up for its low speed. With a Choice Band, it has enough power to eradicate anything in existance with just 2 blows. A 604 Attack stat is certainly nothing to scoff at.
: Crunch: Obvious choice. STAB, plus a respectable 80 BP makes it a very reliable move.
: Stone Edge: Again, I am normally very accuracy wary, but Stone Edges power is unfathomable, so I had to keep it on just to keep the many OHKOs it offers intact.
: Pursuit: This move is awesome. Poor little Latias wants to go home to her mummy, but Tyranitar won't allow it, and it takes it down while it's switching in! What a badass...
: Aqua Tail: Hippowdon would infinately wall poor Tyrant if he couldn't use the power of water. Now even Hippowdon is brought down to its 4 knees.
Weaknesses:
Potential Problems: Tyranitar sure has a heck of a lot of weaknesses doesn't it? This, along with the removal of Starmie, may make me very prone to Mixape sweeps. If anyone has a more reliable alternative, or if you want me to keep Starmie, let me know!
I know this team is probably the worst you'll ever see, sorry if your eyes burnt from rating this garbage!
JUST SO YOU DON'T FORGET:
AT A GLANCE:
CLOSER SHOWING:
Gliscor:
Jolly Nature, Sand Veil,
Yache Berry, 216Speed, 204HP, 88AtkI was looking for a suitable lead on my team, and then I saw this pretty scorpion. His high speed, coupled with his natural bulk and decent attacking prowess, makes Gliscor quite an ideal lead for setting up Stealth Rock. Against quicker leads, he either sets up the rocks without much hassle, or Earthquakes them, but against slower, bulkier leads, he can just Taunt them to stop the opposing Stealth Rock from being layed, or he could Knock Off their item and make them slightly less of a threat in the late game. In short, Gliscor can serve as a bulky lead or a suicide lead, depending on the situation. Sand Veil is there so that Gliscor can annoy people later on if the opponent has a Tyranitar.
: Stealth Rock: Arguably the most common move in the game, an essential choice for any lead.: Earthquake: A staple on Gliscor. One of the best physical moves in the game, plus STAB and x2 damage on Steel types? Count this in.: Taunt: Gliscors way of torturing slower leads. He prevents them from setting up the Rocks, then switches out into something that can beat its adversary. : Knock Off: This move may seem odd on such a fast Gliscor, but believe me, it has proven to be very useful against its common switch-ins. Nobody likes losing their item after all!Weaknesses:
Potential problems: I was thinking of putting Roost or X-Scissor on Gliscor, but all the moves it has right now are very useful for it.
Vaporeon:
Bold nature, Water Absorb,
Leftovers, 252Def, 188HP, 68SpAtkWater is a fantastic type. There's a very very good reason why the term bulky water is so well known. Vaporeon is one that sees very high usage, mainly due to it's ability to pass Wish unto other members of the team. I noticed that Vaporeons synergy is fantastic with Gliscor, as it can switch in easily on either of Gliscors weaknesses, whilst Gliscor is immune to Vaporeons electric weakness, and grass type moves are fairly rare anyway. People often tend to underestimate Vaporeons attacking prowess, as its special attack is pretty impressive.
: Surf: Obvious choice. Surf is a fantastic water move, and with Vaporeons impressive base 110 Special Attack, Surf can hurt quite a bit.: Hidden Power: This allows Vaporeon to become a very efficient Gyarados counter. With Vaporeons high defence, it can usually survive a +1 Earthquake, and OHKO back with this move.: Protect: This can allow Vaporeon to become a stalling machine, and it also ensures that Wish has its full effect if used as self recovery.: Wish: The reason why Vaporeon is #18 on the OU rankings. Vaporeon can recover half its health, or pass it onto another weakened teammate.Weaknesses:
Potential problems: Nothing major encountered so far, although it has problems against Crocune.
Heatran:
Naive nature, Flash Fire,
Choice Scarf, 252Speed, 252SpAtk, 4 AtkLooking further at the synergy aspect of this team, I decided to add a Heatran on my team, to absorb the occasional Grass attack. Of course, it's the bog standard Choice Scarf set. Boring as heck, but extremely effective. Nothing (except for sucky Ninjask) can outspeed this magma beast without a boost. Heatran is undoubtedly the 2nd best fire type in the game (1st is Ho-oh), and for very good reason. With a massive 130 base Special Attack, it can drill right into its foes with its powerful moves. Heatran isn't a defensive slouch either. Base 106 defences allows it to take a non-ground hit or 2 before going down.
: Fire Blast: I'm normally a very accuracy wary person, but the sheer power that Fire Blast presents was too enticing for me to ignore. With Stealth Rock up, many 2HKOs become OHKOs, and a base 120 power move commanded by a base 130 Special Attack is insanely powerful.: Earth Power: An obvious choice. Heatran wouldn't be able to cope with himself if he didn't have this move.: Hidden Power: This allows me to take care of that pesky midget dragon Salamence. Poor dragon won't know it's coming =D: Explosion: Where would a Heatran be without this move. If it couldn't explode in a gory magma mess, Blissey would wall this set all day. It also serves as the ideal move to use against something Heatran can't beat. (If I go down, I'm taking you with me! -Andross)Weaknesses:
Potential Problems: It's just a pity Heatran can't learn Grass Knot... I'd replace Explosion in favour of this otherwise... I originally had Hidden Power Grass and Dragon Pulse on this, but I needed something that could OHKO Mence, so I had to rid myself of the Swampert killer. Dragon Pulse had poor coverage with HPIce, so I decided to put Explosion on. Moving along, Heatran has to Explode to rid itself of bulky waters like Swampert and Vaporeon, so that's a major weakness.
Scizor:
Adamant nature, Technician,
Leftovers, 252 Atk, 200HP, 56SpeedWell, every team has to have a Scizor, right? This Scizor focuses more on its large bulk than its massive Attack. I decided to add a Scizor because it can easily switch in and wreak havoc. It can switch in on anything that is unable to threaten it, and start setting up. It can then unleash its wrath on the unfortunate Pokemon switching in.
: Swords Dance: Though Swords Dance has seen less use compared to when Platinum was first released, Scizor can still be very dangerous with it. A +2 Attack boost is very attracting when you consider Scizors already huge 130 base Attack stat.: Bullet Punch: How could any Scizor cope without this move? Its undeniable coolness aside, a 90 base power move factoring in Technician and STAB? Check. Priority? Check. No Scizor should go past the woods without this move.: Superpower: Scizor also recieved this little treat of a move in Platinum. Whilst it does have the unfortunate side-effect of slightly lowering your attack and defence, the overwhelming power it presents is too much to ignore. Besides, it can always switch out of its opponent anyway to negate the losses.: Roost: Although Scizor isn't a flying type, Roost still allows it to recover half of its health if its feeling a bit down. This contributes largely to Scizors bulk.Weaknesses:
Potential Problems: I've noticed that a Bug Type move (Bug Bite would be preferred, although U-Turn is still useful) would be fairly useful on Scizor, but like Gliscor, all of its moves are very good, and I don't really want to change the whole set (especially not to a Choice Band set).
Gyarados:
Jolly nature, Intimidate,
Leftovers, 184Speed, 156HP, 96Def, 72AtkThis Pokemon... is an utter monster. Gyarados is arguably the most improved Pokemon from the 3rd Gen. to the 4th. Similarly to Scizor, I decided to make Gyarados a little bit more bulky in exchange for less power. Dragon Dance is very obvious, allowing Gyarados to boost its high attack and mediocre speed, then when the time comes, strike!
: Dragon Dance: The move that made Gyarados a star. Dragon Dance allows a boost to Gyarados' very high attack and mediocre speed stats. Even after just 1 Dragon Dance, you can massacre most of the opponents team.: Waterfall: An obvious choice. Waterfall is Gyarados' new and most definately improved STAB. After a Dragon Dance, this can do massive amounts of damage to its unfortunate opponent.: Taunt: This move is very fun to use. It allows Gyarados to stop fellow stat uppers right in their tracks, whilst Gyarados just keeps on dancin'.: Payback: This is a very odd choice, but it can allow Gyarados to have a move that can hit the Rotom Formes hard. I might change this slot to be honest, as I haven't seen much use for it elsewhere.Weaknesses:
Potential Problems: I don't really know what to put for Gyarados' moveset. Other than that, the Rotom Appliances completely own him. I might try out Stone Edge in place of Payback, but its accuracy somewhat puts me off.
Tyranitar:
Adamant nature, Sand Stream,
Originally, this team had a Starmie in its place. But, taking note of a suggestion from AceAttorney (many thanks for helping me!), I have decided to fit a Tyranitar here. Whilst I am unsure of how easy it is to switch in on and how good its synergy is in comparison to the other team members, it still worked well when I used it. It trades the Rapid Spinner and (somewhat) Mixape check I had from Starmie with a 1.5X special defence boost for Scizor, Gliscor and Heatran, as well as a great check to the Rotom Appliances and Latias. This thing has absolutely monstrous power, which more than makes up for its low speed. With a Choice Band, it has enough power to eradicate anything in existance with just 2 blows. A 604 Attack stat is certainly nothing to scoff at.
: Crunch: Obvious choice. STAB, plus a respectable 80 BP makes it a very reliable move.: Stone Edge: Again, I am normally very accuracy wary, but Stone Edges power is unfathomable, so I had to keep it on just to keep the many OHKOs it offers intact.: Pursuit: This move is awesome. Poor little Latias wants to go home to her mummy, but Tyranitar won't allow it, and it takes it down while it's switching in! What a badass...: Aqua Tail: Hippowdon would infinately wall poor Tyrant if he couldn't use the power of water. Now even Hippowdon is brought down to its 4 knees.Weaknesses:
Potential Problems: Tyranitar sure has a heck of a lot of weaknesses doesn't it? This, along with the removal of Starmie, may make me very prone to Mixape sweeps. If anyone has a more reliable alternative, or if you want me to keep Starmie, let me know!
I know this team is probably the worst you'll ever see, sorry if your eyes burnt from rating this garbage!
JUST SO YOU DON'T FORGET:
