First Competitive Team. Rate plz:)

[dws93rd]

I am new to the whole competitive Pokemon scene and have tested a few ideas on Shoddy Battle, but I still need some advice as far as making a team function well around the Pokemon's strengths and weaknesses. So, without further ado, here ya go.(Changes in Bold)

The Team:

Roserade @ Focus Sash
Ability:Natural Cure
Evs:4Hp/252/SpA/252Spe
Nature:Timid
-Toxic Spikes
-Leaf Storm
-Hp Fire
-Sleep Powder

The idea I had before, adding some bulk, didn't really work out as I planned, seeing as I was still OHKO'd by a psychic from Azelf. So Switching to focus sash helped trmendously. Depending on the opposing lead the object is to either sleep powder right away or attack, then lay down toxic spikes.

Heatran @ Shuca Berry
Ability:Flash Fire
Evs:4Def/252SpA/252Spe
Nature:Timid
-Dragon Pulse
-Earth Power
-Fire Blast
-Stealth Rocks

Heatran serves as my teams revenge killer. With this moveset he can take out some big offensive threats to my team such as Gyrados, Scizor, opposing Heatran(barring shuca and other scarfers) and deal some pretty hefty damage to Mence. I'm thinking about maybe switching him out for Starmie because he can't effectively work against Mence if it gets up a DD. Putting stealth rocks on this guy allowed me to set them up on the opponents switch and helping with defeating Gyarados and Mence

Rotom-H @Choice Scarf
Ability:Levitate
Evs:252SpA/252Spe/4Def
Nature:Timid
-Trick
-Thunderbolt
-Shadow Ball
-Will-o-wisp

Helps keep down toxic spikes and is a nice check to pokes such as Lucario,Scizor, and Metagross. I opted for Shadow Ball over Hp Fighting for the STAB and occasional SpD drop. Wisp also helps soften blows for the rest of my team. Changing Overheat to sub was great in stopping Gengars that would often switch in. Thanks Mega Walrus. Tested out the Scarf set that KidX suggested, but didn't really work out for me because i noticed a pretty significant difference in the damage my team was taking from un-wisped physical attackers. So i kinda kept wisp to use after i trick off the scarf. Worked so far.

Gliscor @ Leftovers
Ability:Sand Veil
Evs:252Hp/4Def/252Spe
Nature:Jolly
-Eq
-U-turn
-Roost
-Taunt

Gliscor's main job is to take fighting hits directed at the rest of the team and scout a little. Testing him in Shoddy he has also helped in preventing Salamences from setting up DD's.

Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Ability:Water Absorb
Evs:188Hp/252Def/68Spe
Nature:Bold
-Wish
-Protect
-Hp Electric
-Surf

Ah, Vaporeon, one of my favorite pokes.Vaporeon serves as my wish passer/cleric. She also has nice defensive synergy with the rest of this team. Hp Electric served better in stopping any Gyarados'.

Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability:Technician
Evs:248Hp/525Atk/8Spe
Nature:Adamant
-Bullet Punch
-Superpower
-Pursuit
-U-turn



After testing this guy out I've decided to keep him because he does help greatly with checking many of the threats this team had before. So thanks Nosferalto

THREATS:
No Big Threat=Black
Decent Threat=Orange
BIG Threat=Red


Azelf:Easy. Tyranitar.
Breloom:Put it to sleep first with Roserade. Or Heatran and Rotom-H have him covered.
Celebi:Heatran. Nuff said.
Dugtio:If it gets one of my guys, Vaporeon/Roserade have him covered.
Electivire:Wisp with Rotom-H, then proceed to kill based on moveset.
Empoleon:Gliscor can take him barring ice beam. Heatran can revenge kill non bulky versions. Otherwise can pose a decent threat.
Flygon:Most Flygons I've seen are scarfed/banded. See what it locks itself into, counter accordingly.
Gengar:Gengars have given me many headaches with this team. BIG threat.
Gliscor:Vaporeon can take anything Gliscor throws her way.
Gyarados:Revenge kill with Heatran. If Heatran's gone, Gyarados' pose a BIG threat.
Heatran:Gliscor/Vaporeon/Heatran all have these covered. Barring Sub/Toxic(which I've rarely seen). Decent threat.
Heracross:Rotom-H. Wisp then kill off.
Infernape:After set is established Vaporeon/Gliscor can USUALLY take him. Decent threat.
Jirachi:Gliscor/Heatran got this.
Kingdra:Heatran can KO after some poison damage. Otherwise wisp it. Decent threat.
Lucario:Gliscor period.
Machamp:These things give me a humongous amount of headaches. Just seems as though my team can never EFFECTIVELY kill them. Big threat.
Magnezone:Gliscor/Heatran/Rotom-H can usually take this guy.
Mamoswine:Haven't faced any of these yet, but i believe Heatran can revenge kill him and Rotom-H can take anything it throws his way.
Metagross:Gliscor/Rotom-H/Heatran. If i can't take it out, poses a big threat.
Ninjask:Just taunt with Gliscor then pick this little guy off.
Porygon-Z:Haven't faced a single one of these so not really sure...
Rhyperior:Vaporeon can take anything it tries to do to her, then proceed to KO it with surf.
Roserade:Heatran/Tyranitar(fire punch)/Rotom-H can take him.
Rotom-A:If Tyranitar is gone, these guys can wreck havoc. Luckily, i always hold him till i know the opponents team.
Salamence:Bah, hopefully i can taunt before any DD Mences can set up. Heatran can KO with dragon pulse if Mence has any damage, otherwise, big threat.
Scizor:As many fire attacks are on this team, Scizors still manage to cause some unwanted damage to my team. If i can get it on the switch with a fire attack it's lights out for him. Otherwise, big threat.
Snorlax:Once again, a poke i have yet to face. But i believe T-Tar can win in a curse match.
Starmie:Surprisingly people don't switch when i bring in a Heatran on Starmie. Then I KO with Hp Electric, if it has taken some damage.
Suicune:As much as this surprises me, I have faced maybe one? And maybe it was just the person but i took it out pretty easily.
Togekiss:Sigh, haven't faced many but I took them out with ease.
Tyranitar:Generally, i can take this guy out with a poke after i have wisped him, so not TOO worried. Decent threat.
Weavile:Not very worried at all v. any Weavile.
Yanmega:Once again, a poke I'm not worried about with this team.
Zapdos:Haven't faced many, but i believe the bulky sets can counter some of my pokes. Decent threat.

 

[Nosferalto]

Definitely use Protect instead of Heal Bell on Vaporeon. Protect is almost a necessity to keep Vaporeon alive so it can pass Wishes to its team mates. In addition, Protect pairs really well with Wish and also allows Vaporeon to scout and evade Explosions. Also, I would strongly recommend using Hidden Power Electric on Vaporeon instead of Toxic. With Roserade setting up Toxic Spikes, Toxic has limited use while HP Electric turns Vaporeon into one of the best DD Gyarados checks in the whole game.

One of the reasons why this team is so vulnerable to DD Salamence is the lack of Stealth Rock. SR is a must on any team to keep Salamence at bay and limiting the amount of times it switches-in. Salamence's biggest weakness is residual damage (mainly Stealth Rock) which makes it easily worn down. With the changes on Vaporeon and Rotom-H on the team, DD Gyarados is solidly covered and HP Electric on Heatran is no longer really needed. I would slap Stealth Rock on Heatran instead of HP Electric. Heatran causes a lot of switches, so you can easily set-up SR to alleviate your DD Salamence weakness; and you have Rotom-H to prevent Rapid Spin.

While SR will greatly increase your chances of beating Salamence, this alone will not be enough to ensure that DD versions aren't a problem. Tyranitar seems like the most replaceable member on the team as the rest of the team seems rather needed. The addition of Choice Band Scizor instead of Tyranitar will solve this weakness. Use Scizor with a CB, an Adamant Nature with 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe and the following move-set: Bullet Punch | Superpower | U-Turn | Pursuit. After SR damage and one turn of Life Orb recoil, Bullet Punch will take Salamence down (BP does about 67% iirc). Scizor also adds an additional Steel- type which is always useful in the current metagame and improves your team offensively speaking.

On Roserade, Focus Sash is the superior option instead of Leftovers as it improves your performance against fast leads such as Azelf and guarantees that you are not OHKOed since many leads are able to do so against Roserade. If you do opt for Focus Sash, use a 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe EV spread and consider using Leaf Storm instead of Energy Ball to dish out as much damage as possible.

If this is your first competitive team, this is an excellent team; gj.

 

[mega_walrus]

You could change Rotom to:

Rotom-H @ Leftovers
Ability:Levitate
Evs:252Hp/252Def/4Spe
Nature:Bold
-Substitute
-Discharge
-Shadow Ball
-Will-o-wisp

Not a massive change but means you can more easily switch in to Gyarados on the turn it dragon dances and OHKO with discharge. Substitute helps efficiently counter Gengar, meaning it's not such a threat to your team (quite a few people will switch Gengar straight in expecting to take a burn and then be KO'd as you set up a sub and strike with shadow ball. Losing overheat shouldn't matter, as you can still bluff that you have it to keep things at bay. Scizor is handled easily regardless by burning and wearing down with discharge. Just an idea :)

 

[dws93rd]

Definitely use Protect instead of Heal Bell on Vaporeon. Protect is almost a necessity to keep Vaporeon alive so it can pass Wishes to its team mates. In addition, Protect pairs really well with Wish and also allows Vaporeon to scout and evade Explosions. Also, I would strongly recommend using Hidden Power Electric on Vaporeon instead of Toxic. With Roserade setting up Toxic Spikes, Toxic has limited use while HP Electric turns Vaporeon into one of the best DD Gyarados checks in the whole game.

One of the reasons why this team is so vulnerable to DD Salamence is the lack of Stealth Rock. SR is a must on any team to keep Salamence at bay and limiting the amount of times it switches-in. Salamence's biggest weakness is residual damage (mainly Stealth Rock) which makes it easily worn down. With the changes on Vaporeon and Rotom-H on the team, DD Gyarados is solidly covered and HP Electric on Heatran is no longer really needed. I would slap Stealth Rock on Heatran instead of HP Electric. Heatran causes a lot of switches, so you can easily set-up SR to alleviate your DD Salamence weakness; and you have Rotom-H to prevent Rapid Spin.

While SR will greatly increase your chances of beating Salamence, this alone will not be enough to ensure that DD versions aren't a problem. Tyranitar seems like the most replaceable member on the team as the rest of the team seems rather needed. The addition of Choice Band Scizor instead of Tyranitar will solve this weakness. Use Scizor with a CB, an Adamant Nature with 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe and the following move-set: Bullet Punch | Superpower | U-Turn | Pursuit. After SR damage and one turn of Life Orb recoil, Bullet Punch will take Salamence down (BP does about 67% iirc). Scizor also adds an additional Steel- type which is always useful in the current metagame and improves your team offensively speaking.

On Roserade, Focus Sash is the superior option instead of Leftovers as it improves your performance against fast leads such as Azelf and guarantees that you are not OHKOed since many leads are able to do so against Roserade. If you do opt for Focus Sash, use a 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe EV spread and consider using Leaf Storm instead of Energy Ball to dish out as much damage as possible.

If this is your first competitive team, this is an excellent team; gj.

I will definitely try out the suggestions you made. As far as Scizor>Tyranitar I really like this Tyranitar, but I'll try out the CB Scizor to see if it works better with this team.
And it is my first team, so thanks:)

 

[dws93rd]

You could change Rotom to:

Rotom-H @ Leftovers
Ability:Levitate
Evs:252Hp/252Def/4Spe
Nature:Bold
-Substitute
-Discharge
-Shadow Ball
-Will-o-wisp

Not a massive change but means you can more easily switch in to Gyarados on the turn it dragon dances and OHKO with discharge. Substitute helps efficiently counter Gengar, meaning it's not such a threat to your team (quite a few people will switch Gengar straight in expecting to take a burn and then be KO'd as you set up a sub and strike with shadow ball. Losing overheat shouldn't matter, as you can still bluff that you have it to keep things at bay. Scizor is handled easily regardless by burning and wearing down with discharge. Just an idea :)

I'll try this out and see if it helps in solving that awful Gengar problem. Thanks.

 

[KidX]

Hello!

If you want stealth rocks on heatran then switch choice scarf for shucca berry.

Also since you will be switching heatran's item into shucca, you will need a revenge killer, I suggest Choice scarf rotom-h:

Rotom-H @ Choice Scarf
EV's: 4Hp 252Spe 252Sp,Atk
Nature: Timid
Ability: Levitate
Moves:

Overheat
Thunderbolt
Shadow Ball
Trick

This helps with your gyara, gengar, scizor, and meta. IMO this works better with your team because you already have vappy passing wish around, so you have the recovery thing covered. Besides SR with a choice scarf on heatran is a waste of a good move slot IMO. If you want more power and speed, but less resistances and bulk then gengar works well. Once again a choice scarf gengar with: Shadow Ball/ Thunderbolt/Hidden Power [Fire]/ Trick or any other move you can think of.

Good Luck!

 

[dws93rd]

Hello!

If you want stealth rocks on heatran then switch choice scarf for shucca berry.

Also since you will be switching heatran's item into shucca, you will need a revenge killer, I suggest Choice scarf rotom-h:

Rotom-H @ Choice Scarf
EV's: 4Hp 252Spe 252Sp,Atk
Nature: Timid
Ability: Levitate
Moves:

Overheat
Thunderbolt
Shadow Ball
Trick

This helps with your gyara, gengar, scizor, and meta. IMO this works better with your team because you already have vappy passing wish around, so you have the recovery thing covered. Besides SR with a choice scarf on heatran is a waste of a good move slot IMO. If you want more power and speed, but less resistances and bulk then gengar works well. Once again a choice scarf gengar with: Shadow Ball/ Thunderbolt/Hidden Power [Fire]/ Trick or any other move you can think of.

Good Luck!

Yea, the heatran choice scarf SR thing was kinda making him almost useless. So I'll try out your suggestion thanks

 

[Bloo]

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