With the Help of a Flying Scorpion, the Antlion Sweeps!

[burnpsy]

My old team just wasn't cutting it anymore, so I figured that I may as well build a new team. Not much of a reason, but who needs a reason, anyways?

So, I started looking for a Pokemon to build around. While searching, I looked for less common uses for the centerpiece Pokemon, so it would do well while catching the opponent off guard.

I ended up going with LO Flygon. Flygon is a more than decent Pokemon to build around, but as Choice Scarf and Choice Band are its usual items of choice, using a Life Orb would help go around anything that could hold it in place after being locked into a move with Scarf or Band.

A few major flaws I saw with Flygon almost immediately were the lack of good Speed to keep it up with any opponents, and falling short of too many OHKOs when it does survive/outspeed the enemy. I decided to solve this problem by using a BP Gliscor. With it, I could give Flygon that missing boost that it needs to really do some damage. That said, I saw a flaw almost immediately - Ice-type attacks.

I figured that the only way to add in an Ice resistance without leaving me open to many other issues was to add Bronzong. Bronzong could also allow Gliscor to do its job without worrying about random Ice-type attacks - using access to both screens.

My next thought was coming up with a reliable lead. I went with Aerodactyl, as it outspeeds almost everything that lacks a Scarf, and can set up rock while not letting the opponent do so. Basically, your standard lead. I needed the rocks to come up EVERY time for Flygon to got its KOs without Gliscor to help, so this was an important requirement.

Due to the importance of SR being up at all times, I needed a spin blocker. Dusknoir was the most sturdy Ghost I could think of, barring Giratina. This would have to do.

I added Tyranitar as a filler Pokemon, due to the fact that nearly everything on the team has no problem with Sandstorm. Why bother? Why not?

Tested Mow Rotom, Scizor, and Infernape to perform the roles of Dusknoir, Gliscor and Infernape respectively. Scizor and Mow Rotom don't work out too well.

Added Gliscor back over Scizor. Not being immune to Ground, being part Steel, and lacking Taunt completely ruined nearly every attempt at victory with Scizor in the team. Still figuring out what to do about Mow Rotom, however.

After testing things like Lanturn over the Rotom, I end up going with Gyarados. Quite simply, Gyarados was the best Pokemon I could think of for the job.
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Current Line-Up:

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In More Detail:

Pterosaur (Aerodactyl) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Aerodactyl's a fine lead. Outspeeding every lead that's been thrown at it so far, barring a few Scarfed leads and a random Electrode. Unless I personally mess up, it never fails to set up the rocks. It always forces the opponent to bring in Lucario or something after I taunt, unless the opponent tries to hit it. It serves as a sacrifice for other team members after the rocks are up, and gets the odd KO here and there, but that's about it.

Ritual (Bronzong) @ Light Clay
Ability: Heatproof
EVs: 252 HP/152 Atk/10 Def/96 SDef
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Earthquake
- Explosion

For this team, the two screens are vital to getting set-up, and thus I use Bronzong to reliably set-up both screens in the face of non-Taunters. While it's not perfect, due to lack of a reliable way to heal, Bronzong still gets at least one screen up before going down, and can take down one of the most annoying Pokemon on the enemy team with it (for some odd reason, Bronzong attracts annoying Pokemon like moths to a flame O.O). As a steel-type, it can take some Ice hits for me, but I usually can't get this in in time. For those wondering about Heatproof > Levitate, most people will just assume Levitate and switch in a Fire-type, only to do a pitiful 15% - I checked!

G (Gyarados) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP/72 Atk/96 Def/186 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Taunt
- Waterfall
- Bounce

This Gyarados is here to handle everything that I cannot stop with Infernape and Flygon, except for Starmie. It's also very effective at luring out counters to either of the aforementioned two Pokemon, and KOing it with Bounce. Of course, I only have time to make use of Dragon Dance on the switch most of the time, but Intimidate WILL force a switch, and Bounce will end up causing even more in an attempt to cover the Bounce vulnerability of nearly everything that seems to get switched in to handle Stone Edge. I remember Bounce + Stealth Rock hitting a Heatran that had just switched in for 67% total and paralyzing it, something that was clearly unexpected on both ends.

Antlion (Flygon) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk/218 Spd/40 SAtk
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Dragon Claw
- Fire Blast

Centerpiece of the team. Using Stealth Rock and a little help from Gliscor and Bronzong, Flygon can be a pain to the enemy (provided the plan works). Basically, I get the rocks up along with both screens, and give Flygon a few +2s/+4s where necessary, and proceed to sweep until the opponent brings a hard hitter that can take +2 LO EarthQuake after Stealth Rock. Also, Fire Blast missed FAR too often. :/

Vampion (Gliscor) (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP/60 Spd/198 SDef
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rock Polish
- Swords Dance
- Taunt
- Baton Pass

This Gliscor is made purely for Baton Passing, but gets thwarted too often by hax, Ice moves that are just too powerful for Light Screen/Reflect to stop, the opponent stopping Bronzong from setting up the proper screen, the opponent alternating between two pseudo-hazers until the screens run out so they can one-shot this with Ice Beam, using a priority move to KO this right before I Baton Pass, switching in an Intimidater over and over JUST after I BP, outspeeding Flygon with a Scarfed Latias or something and KOing with Draco Meteor, the list goes on. Taunt kills this and this thing needs a way to heal. That's about it. The good points of this can be seen in Flygon's description above.

Flame (Infernape) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Thunderpunch
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz

Infernape is my spare sweeper. It and Flygon cover eachother's major weaknesses, for the most part. With its current moveset, Infernape can handle most Ice Sharders that would otherwise stop Flygon. However, it doesn't handle Weavile too well, so I was considering adding Mach Punch somewhere.​

 

[Dark Talon]

Your team seems to have a very large weakness to Mixmence. It can come in quite easily on both Infernape and Gliscore, and once it's in, something is going down. It will most likely Draco Meteor, but even if you switch in Bronzong, you can only Explode on it, so if something like Latias or Starmie is waiting in the wings, you have nothing faster than it that can survive an attack and it's game over. Changing your Infernape to a Mixape would allow it to revenge Salamence and ensure that DDmence cannot set up on it.

Infernape @ Life Orb
Naive Nature
64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
Close Combat | Fire Blast | Grass Knot | Hidden Power Ice

Even though it won't benefit as much from a Swords Dance pass, a +2 Spe Mixape is nothing to scoff at. It can also easily get rid of Swampert, something that can easily stop a Flygon sweep.

Starmie isn't as commonly seen as Scizor, so you shouldn't be too worried about it, and if worst comes to worst, Gliscor can survive a Surf and BP a Rock Polish to Infernape or Gyarados. Starmie also usually don't carry both Ice Beam and Thunderbolt anymore, so Gyarados can set up on Ice Beamers and Gliscor on Thunderbolters.

 

[Zero_X54321]

if you want a good BPer, you could try out:
Ninjask @ Lefties
Ability: Speed Boost
Jolly or Timid, 252/252 SpE/HP
Baton Pass
Swords Dance
Protect
Substitute

This thing is the most annoying BP user I have ever encountered, and since nothing outspeeds it after one turn (Protect/sub) you will have no problem at least sending a +1 Sub to Flygon. The lefties give you residual recovery, and really, there aren't many good Items for a BPer to use. I suggest the HP EV's to make it's Substitutes as sturdy as they can be (like 82 HP).
The Basic Idea is to Switch in after a KO'ed pokemon (lead is perfect) and then Sub, Protect/SD until you have a boost worthy to send. most of the time you can at least send a +2 Spe over.

 

[burnpsy]

*stuff about Mixmence and Mixape*

I'll make the change. Thanks.

*stuff about Ninjask and BP*

Unlike Gliscor, Ninjask is eaten alive by Taunt while Gliscor can fire off a Taunt of its own. Something I noted when I tried Scizor instead was the overall amount of Pokemon that were able to stop me with Roar. With Taunt, I know that I won't run into Roar in response to Baton Pass. Furthermore, my plan isn't blatantly obvious when I'm using Gliscor, and Intimidate can't ruin my fun thanks to Hyper Cutter. I cannot use it as a lead, because the rocks are needed for several OHKOs and 2HKOs if I cannot BP some attack boosts. Also, I have to set up the screens before bringing in Flygon from a Baton Pass, or it gets KO'd as soon as it comes in. So, since it's not a lead, it's safe to assume it will always take 50% from switching in.

I prefer Gliscor here.