NB: UPDATES ARE GOING TO BE IN RED
Hi, this is my first RMT in about 3 years. As you may have gathered from the title, this is an Offensive Team (as it has developed, it ended up being more balanced than offensive) with the plan of setting up a Calm Mind Latias Sweep. The major strategy employed is to use other powerful special attackers (namely Starmie and Heatran) to weaken and cripple the opponents team, while using bulky pokemon to keep Latias' main two counters Scizor and Tyranitar in check. Once this is done Latias will attempt to set up and sweep. Additionally, the combination of CeleTran and Gliscor allows the team to often function without Latias in the early and mid stages of the game.
What I really like about this team I have created, is that every member plays a vital role or has a specific tool to enable Latias' success. Additionally, each member seems to be most suited to their job. With good momentum, correct prediction and the element of surprise this team has been fairly successful in testing. Now all I believe it needs is a small bit fine tuning, hence this thread
Team Problems
1. Stall Teams, i.e. Skarmory, Blissey, Rotom-H. This might me due to lack of a wall breaker or mixed pokemon (Stallbreaker Gliscor has been added to fix this, as has Toxic on Heatran. Problem solved (further testing is needed)
2. DD Gyarados with Bounce, especially bulkier versions that run Taunt. Celebi can't counter without Thunder Wave, and grass Knot doesn't even 3HKO bulky versions. Starmie can counter it, but due to being a lead, quite often has already fainted. Latias can take the hits but taunt stops her from Recovering. Same with Gliscor, who can take bounce but also gets Taunted. LOL I have 3 pokemon who can potentially counter/check Heatran except for sets with Taunt.
Anyway, here is the team at a glance:
How the Team Plays
Early Game: Starmie messes stuff up with Trick. Gliscor sets up Stealth Rock. Scizor U-Turns to scout
Mid Game: Celebi cripples with Thunder Wave and kills Steel types. Heatran gets a sub up and attacks things. Rest of team weaken Latias' counters
Late Game: Latias comes in from a U-Turn or Revenge Kill and does her thing.
Devil Kiss (Starmie) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Trick
- Thunderbolt
- Surf
Starmie is an amazing lead against the majority of common starters. Few pokemon can get and keep Stealth Rock up without having them spinned away, excluding the obvious 'switch to a ghost' tactic.
The basic plan is Trick whatever on the first turn, as the opponent try to (hopefully) stealth rock or taunt. With Choice Scarf, Starmie doesn't have to worry about being killed before it can trick. Getting a Focus Sash and still being at 100% is cool, especially if Scizor is the switch in after the opponents lead is locked into Stealth Rock.
Starmie forces a lot of initial switches to Blissey/Snorlax who expect the Life Orb variant, and tricking them with Choice Scarf is probably the best possible outcome for my special orientated team.
Tyranitar switch ins really stuff me over though. It hasn't happened yet throughout testing but I'm nearly always expecting to exchange Starmie's Choice Scarf with Tyranitar's Choice Band. The rest of my team are usually more than enough to handle Tyranitar. A lot of players I've fought are too concerned with keeping in their lead, and setting up their strategy then initially dealing with Starmie (which is a good thing).
No leads really worry Starmie too much. Lead Tyranitar usually doesn't have pursuit and Starmie resists the majority of common leads attacks. What happens on the first turn most is Starmie tricks while they Stealth Rock, and Starmie uses Surf on the Ghost switch in. This lets Heatran/Scizor switch in and set up/pursuit the Rotom or Gengar.
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Devil Kiss was the username of a person who greatly influenced me, in another online community. She was a bit like this Starmie, unusual but very dangerous.
Reaper (Scizor) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-turn
I originally tried Magnezone in Scizors spot, but my team really needed a dedicated physical attacker to deal with pokemon like Blissey, Cresselia, Snorlax. Without Scizor, this team lacks a Revenge Killer or any Priority Move with decent power. Additionally Scizor is a major check/counter for most Tyranitar, Gengar and Rotom's who spell trouble for Latias. He is standard, but complements team members such has Heatran very well. If he makes it to the endgame, his U-Turn is the free switch in Latias loves.
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Reaper is a reference to my favourite DS game The World Ends With You. Like the Reapers, Scizor steals the souls of Ghost and Psychic types with Pursuit
(Metaknight) Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP/40 Def/216 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
Credit goes to MetaNite for suggesting this set. In initial testing I found my team unable to beat decent stall teams (namely, the deadly SkarmBlissRotom combination). Gliscor really helps remedy this weakness while doing most of the things that Swampert did (Stealth Rock, Physical Wall, Tyranitar check) while having Taunt to stop pokemon like Skarmory and Blissey who rely on support moves to function. He can also counter SD Lucario and Heracross like a champ.
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MetaNite suggested the set, and funnily enough Gliscor reminds me of Metaknight a great deal.
Revenge (Heatran) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Substitute
- Toxic
I rely on my Heatran to be able to switch in repeatedly to take things like ghost, grass and fire attacks, hence why I have Leftovers over Life Orb. I tried a Choice Scarf version but found he just lacked the versatility to function well. Heatran forces switches so easily, allowing him to get up a sub and pick the correct move to tackle his counter. Earth Power beats the enemy Heatran who just switched in. Toxic deals with bulky waters and Blissey who don't fear Heatran's attacking potential. With Toxic, Leftovers and Substitute he can out stall many things, as no steel pokemon can handle Fire Blast & Earth Power, because Heatran just Subs on the switch.
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Revenge's name may seem in reference to the popular Choice Scarf Heatran set, but it is in fact the username I went by on another online game. Maybe it will trick somebody?
Illusen (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP/220 Def/36 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Grass Knot
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Today, I was looking at the December usage statistics and saw that Celebi dropped four spots, the biggest decline in usage seen in OU this past month. This really shocked me. Celebi is an absolute beast. His main 'counters' Scizor and Tyranitar (same as Latias) get paralysed on the switch in. HP fire OHKO's Scizors that lack any Hp EV investment after Stealth Rock (doing at least 70% to Max Hp Min SpDef variants). Grass Knot puts a sizeable dent in Tyranitar (~50%) while a Choice Band Pursuit fails to 2HKO a full health Celebi. If Tyranitar uses Crunch, Celebi can survive the hit if at maximum health and get in 2 (or 3 if lucky) Grass Knots. Then Swampert and Scizor (and pretty much every other team member) can finish the job off.
When Celebi isn't taking down its counters, it's busy paralysing everything in sight. Celebi is the perfect pokemon to use Thunder Wave since ground pokemon generally have no business switching into Celebi in the first place.
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Illusen is the name of the Earth Faerie from Neopets, a game I played when I was much younger :)
Micaiah (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Surf
Finally, Latias Calm Minds up and (hopefully) wins the match. I prefer Lefties over Life Orb because the 10% loss can sometimes be the nail in the coffin.
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Micaiah is the female protagonist of the game Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
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Thanks for taking the time to read this! All advice is much appreciated :)
Hi, this is my first RMT in about 3 years. As you may have gathered from the title, this is an Offensive Team (as it has developed, it ended up being more balanced than offensive) with the plan of setting up a Calm Mind Latias Sweep. The major strategy employed is to use other powerful special attackers (namely Starmie and Heatran) to weaken and cripple the opponents team, while using bulky pokemon to keep Latias' main two counters Scizor and Tyranitar in check. Once this is done Latias will attempt to set up and sweep. Additionally, the combination of CeleTran and Gliscor allows the team to often function without Latias in the early and mid stages of the game.
What I really like about this team I have created, is that every member plays a vital role or has a specific tool to enable Latias' success. Additionally, each member seems to be most suited to their job. With good momentum, correct prediction and the element of surprise this team has been fairly successful in testing. Now all I believe it needs is a small bit fine tuning, hence this thread
Team Problems
1. Stall Teams, i.e. Skarmory, Blissey, Rotom-H. This might me due to lack of a wall breaker or mixed pokemon (Stallbreaker Gliscor has been added to fix this, as has Toxic on Heatran. Problem solved (further testing is needed)
2. DD Gyarados with Bounce, especially bulkier versions that run Taunt. Celebi can't counter without Thunder Wave, and grass Knot doesn't even 3HKO bulky versions. Starmie can counter it, but due to being a lead, quite often has already fainted. Latias can take the hits but taunt stops her from Recovering. Same with Gliscor, who can take bounce but also gets Taunted. LOL I have 3 pokemon who can potentially counter/check Heatran except for sets with Taunt.
Anyway, here is the team at a glance:
How the Team Plays
Early Game: Starmie messes stuff up with Trick. Gliscor sets up Stealth Rock. Scizor U-Turns to scout
Mid Game: Celebi cripples with Thunder Wave and kills Steel types. Heatran gets a sub up and attacks things. Rest of team weaken Latias' counters
Late Game: Latias comes in from a U-Turn or Revenge Kill and does her thing.
Devil Kiss (Starmie) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Trick
- Thunderbolt
- Surf
Starmie is an amazing lead against the majority of common starters. Few pokemon can get and keep Stealth Rock up without having them spinned away, excluding the obvious 'switch to a ghost' tactic.
The basic plan is Trick whatever on the first turn, as the opponent try to (hopefully) stealth rock or taunt. With Choice Scarf, Starmie doesn't have to worry about being killed before it can trick. Getting a Focus Sash and still being at 100% is cool, especially if Scizor is the switch in after the opponents lead is locked into Stealth Rock.
Starmie forces a lot of initial switches to Blissey/Snorlax who expect the Life Orb variant, and tricking them with Choice Scarf is probably the best possible outcome for my special orientated team.
Tyranitar switch ins really stuff me over though. It hasn't happened yet throughout testing but I'm nearly always expecting to exchange Starmie's Choice Scarf with Tyranitar's Choice Band. The rest of my team are usually more than enough to handle Tyranitar. A lot of players I've fought are too concerned with keeping in their lead, and setting up their strategy then initially dealing with Starmie (which is a good thing).
No leads really worry Starmie too much. Lead Tyranitar usually doesn't have pursuit and Starmie resists the majority of common leads attacks. What happens on the first turn most is Starmie tricks while they Stealth Rock, and Starmie uses Surf on the Ghost switch in. This lets Heatran/Scizor switch in and set up/pursuit the Rotom or Gengar.
---
Devil Kiss was the username of a person who greatly influenced me, in another online community. She was a bit like this Starmie, unusual but very dangerous.
Reaper (Scizor) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-turn
I originally tried Magnezone in Scizors spot, but my team really needed a dedicated physical attacker to deal with pokemon like Blissey, Cresselia, Snorlax. Without Scizor, this team lacks a Revenge Killer or any Priority Move with decent power. Additionally Scizor is a major check/counter for most Tyranitar, Gengar and Rotom's who spell trouble for Latias. He is standard, but complements team members such has Heatran very well. If he makes it to the endgame, his U-Turn is the free switch in Latias loves.
---
Reaper is a reference to my favourite DS game The World Ends With You. Like the Reapers, Scizor steals the souls of Ghost and Psychic types with Pursuit
(Metaknight) Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP/40 Def/216 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
Credit goes to MetaNite for suggesting this set. In initial testing I found my team unable to beat decent stall teams (namely, the deadly SkarmBlissRotom combination). Gliscor really helps remedy this weakness while doing most of the things that Swampert did (Stealth Rock, Physical Wall, Tyranitar check) while having Taunt to stop pokemon like Skarmory and Blissey who rely on support moves to function. He can also counter SD Lucario and Heracross like a champ.
---
MetaNite suggested the set, and funnily enough Gliscor reminds me of Metaknight a great deal.
Revenge (Heatran) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Substitute
- Toxic
I rely on my Heatran to be able to switch in repeatedly to take things like ghost, grass and fire attacks, hence why I have Leftovers over Life Orb. I tried a Choice Scarf version but found he just lacked the versatility to function well. Heatran forces switches so easily, allowing him to get up a sub and pick the correct move to tackle his counter. Earth Power beats the enemy Heatran who just switched in. Toxic deals with bulky waters and Blissey who don't fear Heatran's attacking potential. With Toxic, Leftovers and Substitute he can out stall many things, as no steel pokemon can handle Fire Blast & Earth Power, because Heatran just Subs on the switch.
---
Revenge's name may seem in reference to the popular Choice Scarf Heatran set, but it is in fact the username I went by on another online game. Maybe it will trick somebody?
Illusen (Celebi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP/220 Def/36 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Grass Knot
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Today, I was looking at the December usage statistics and saw that Celebi dropped four spots, the biggest decline in usage seen in OU this past month. This really shocked me. Celebi is an absolute beast. His main 'counters' Scizor and Tyranitar (same as Latias) get paralysed on the switch in. HP fire OHKO's Scizors that lack any Hp EV investment after Stealth Rock (doing at least 70% to Max Hp Min SpDef variants). Grass Knot puts a sizeable dent in Tyranitar (~50%) while a Choice Band Pursuit fails to 2HKO a full health Celebi. If Tyranitar uses Crunch, Celebi can survive the hit if at maximum health and get in 2 (or 3 if lucky) Grass Knots. Then Swampert and Scizor (and pretty much every other team member) can finish the job off.
When Celebi isn't taking down its counters, it's busy paralysing everything in sight. Celebi is the perfect pokemon to use Thunder Wave since ground pokemon generally have no business switching into Celebi in the first place.
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Illusen is the name of the Earth Faerie from Neopets, a game I played when I was much younger :)
Micaiah (Latias) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Surf
Finally, Latias Calm Minds up and (hopefully) wins the match. I prefer Lefties over Life Orb because the 10% loss can sometimes be the nail in the coffin.
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Micaiah is the female protagonist of the game Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
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Thanks for taking the time to read this! All advice is much appreciated :)
