Gen 6 Shell Blitz

[Blaise]

This gen has gotten to a great start, really liking the designs, the gameplay and the overall innovation. What I'm currently playing is the "pre-pokebank" metagame on PS, to mirror my cartridge game's available pokemon, in order to get some practice in the competitive scene, since I've been out of it for a while. So, I've decided to post my current team here mainly to get some needed feedback.

Teambuilding

So, the core I've been trying out ever since is Talonflame + Barbaracle, it's the one thing I want to stick with, and i really love it! Really, one of the most fun ways to play.

Obviously, I would have to add a rapid spinner for Talonflame. At first I was considering Excadrill or Forretress, but I kinda needed something that hit one the special side of the spectrum. So I ended up choosing Starmie. Ferrothorn, then, combos well with Starmie, while also providing valuable Stealth Rocks of my own.

So, since Aegislash has gotten so popular it was becoming a problem for my team. So I decided that I definitely needed a good counter to it. I ended up with defensive Hippowdon which, unfortunately, cannot carry SR in the metagame I chose to play in, but that didn't really matter when my Ferrothorn already had it, but it's a great weather controller regardless. For my "obligatory" Mega, I chose Scizor, since, even though it shares a 4x fire weakness with Ferrothorn, my team could cover well, and it has enough bulk to counter Mega-Gengar.

Testing my final team I came to realize that my Rotom-Wash weakness was really getting on my way. I could handle it with Ferrothorn + Starmie weakening it with Power Whip + Psyshock, but the sets were getting harder and harder to wall in the long run, mainly because of burns. So, I decided on replacing Hippowdon with Gastrodon, which has become an even harder Rotom-Wash counter with the Hidden Power nerf, but I'm still a bit hesitant.

The team:

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Gale Wings
Adamant
192 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 60 Spd

• Brave Bird
• Flare Blitz
• Roost
• Will-O-Wisp

I play Talonflame very aggressively, actually, usually as a lead to beat some other common ones with its STABs. It is, as well, a very good revenge killer, so I always take in consideration my opponents team preview before I decide what to do with it. I did not want a boosting Talonflame because I wanted to keep it in a more supportive role, hence Roost and Will-O-Wisp. Roost is there to counterbalance the overall recoil. Will-O-Wisp is there to make up for my team's physical walls. It is a really great move on Talonflame, I really love it, because it catches SO many thing off guard (especially King's Shielding Aegislash and Sucker Punchers).

Barbaracle @ White Herb
Tough Claws
Jolly
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd

• Shell Smash
• Razor Shell
• Stone Edge
• Cross Chop

Here's my set up sweeper, and the main beneficiary of Talonflame's priority Brave Bird kills. Barbaracle is amazing, definitely one of the best shell smashers overall. It is a very powerful part of the team, usually reserved for late-sweeping. The moveset is standard, with STABs + Cross Chop (for Ferrothorn, mainly), though it really suffers from the unreliable accuracy of its moves, even though I prefer White Herb, to preserve it from priority, than other items (like a Life Orb or one of those lenses).

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Iron Barbs
Relaxed
252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SDef (0 Spd IVs)

• Stealth Rock
• Gyro Ball
• Leech Seed
• Protect

Here is my first wall and SR setter. Ferrothorn is a really great pokemon, especially walling fairies this gen, and is my main utility pokemon. It has some good synergy with the other team members. SR is there because I need some kind of hazard. Gyro Ball as the only STAB to hit faster pokes and grass types, mainly. Leech Seed is for extra healing, which combines well with Protect, for some stalling and scouting.

Scizor @ Scizorite
Technician
Adamant
248 HP / 112 Atk / 148 SDef

• U-turn
• Bullet Punch
• Pursuit
• Roost

So I've decided, for my mega-pokemon, to use a trapper Scizor to support the rest of my team and cover the really big threat, at the moment, that is Mega-Gengar. The EVs kinda balance out offense and special defense and they, overall, make a really bulky pokemon (especially when it has access to reliable healing). U-turn is for scouting and STAB, Bullet Punch for secondary STAB and strong priority (while also being most fairies' nightmare), Pursuit for trapping ghosts (GENGAR), psychics (e.g. Alakazam), among other things.

Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Levitate
Bold
248 HP / 232 Def / 28 SAtk

• Volt Switch
• Hydro Pump
• Will-O-Wisp
• Rest

The 1st of the 2 changes to my team, definitely made it more threatening. Rotom gives me another switch-in on Talonflame, and it doesn't worry about its STABs or Will-O-Wisp (which is threatening to Barbaracle). The EVs are set to make the primary physical wall of the team, though it kinda suffers from being slower than Gliscor, but that can surely be dealt with by the other teammates. Hydro Pump and Volt Switch for STAB and a Volt-Turn core with Scizor. Rest for recovery and status relief. Will-O-Wisp mainly for Ferrothorn and Aegislash (and to have another "burner").

Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Mold Breaker
Jolly
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd

• Earthquake
• Rock Slide
• Swords Dance
• Rapid Spin

The 2nd suggestion, the current best rapid spinner. Has great synergy with the team, Mold Breaker is really useful to counter those levitators (especially opposing Rotom-Wash), while also giving me a great set-up wall breaker. Earthquake and Rock Slide for a good move combo to hit everything. Swords Dance gives it the wall-breaking capability and lets it beat common hazards-setters like Ferrothorn and Forretress. Rapid Spin for obligatory support to the rest of the team.

Conclusion
So, I've doing reasonably well with my team, and I like it and I hope you guys like it too. Some of the member make me a little bit hesitant, but when I pull off a Barbaracle sweep or when my Talonflame tears big hole in my opponents' teams, it makes me optimistic. So please rate and suggest any changes if possible, I'm really open and really looking forward to it!


EDIT: So, I've been testing Plus' suggestions and they've really worked wonders, so now I'm definitely adding them to the team.

Previously Used

Hippowdown @ Leftovers
Sand Stream
Impish
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef

• Earthquake
• Rock Slide
• Whirlwind
• Slack Off

Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Storm Drain
Relaxed
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef

• Earthquake
• Scald
• Toxic
• Recover

Starmie @ Leftovers
Natural Cure
Timid
4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd

• Scald
• Ice Beam
  
• Thunderbolt
• Rapid Spin

PS Import

Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
- Rapid Spin

Barbaracle @ White Herb
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Razor Shell
- Stone Edge
- Cross Chop
- Shell Smash

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 60 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Roost
- Will-O-Wisp

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Leech Seed
- Stealth Rock
- Protect
- Gyro Ball

Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest

Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 112 Atk / 148 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Roost
- U-turn

 

[Plus]

Perhaps you could consider using Rotom-W and Excadrill over Starmie and Gastrodon. Rotom-W has more offensive presence, and can form a Voltswitch combination with Scizor. Additionally, he gives you an extra Flying-type resist so you don't have to switch in Barbaracle on Talonflame, because many of them pack WoW, including your own. Excadrill is a much better spinner than defensive Starmie this generation as well, as the presence of Mold Breaker discourages things like Gengar switching into you -- and obviously, Aegislash wouldn't want to switch in on Excadrill either. An added bonus to using Mold Breaker Excadrill is that it can outspeed variants of Rotom that aren't Timid + Max Speed, then kill with Earthquake. Starmie, on the other hand, loses either way to Mega Gengar. Whether you spin or attack, if Mega Gengar switches in, it will either survive or block the spin, then proceed to trap and kill you.

You can play around opposing Rotom-W by using your own Rotom-W in tandem with Excadrill. If you're predicting a Volt Switch or Thundebolt, you can simply switch Excadrill in to retaliate. On the other hand, if you predict a burn, then you can take the burn and Volt Switch out. If you were to run Chestorest Rotom, then you'd be able to sleep off the burn and heal yourself later in the game. Either way, running Rotom-W for your team helps the Rotom-W weakness a little bit without having to go overboard and destroying your momentum with something like a Gastrodon.

Rotom-W@Chesto Berry
bold 252 hp / 252 def / 4 sdef
Thunderbolt/Volt Switch/Hydro Pump/Rest

Excadrill@Air Balloon
Mold Breaker jolly 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 hp
Earthquake/Rapid Spin/Rock Slide/Swords Dance

gl with this team, hope I helped.

 

[Blaise]

Perhaps you could consider using Rotom-W and Excadrill over Starmie and Gastrodon. Rotom-W has more offensive presence, and can form a Voltswitch combination with Scizor. Additionally, he gives you an extra Flying-type resist so you don't have to switch in Barbaracle on Talonflame, because many of them pack WoW, including your own. Excadrill is a much better spinner than defensive Starmie this generation as well, as the presence of Mold Breaker discourages things like Gengar switching into you -- and obviously, Aegislash wouldn't want to switch in on Excadrill either. An added bonus to using Mold Breaker Excadrill is that it can outspeed variants of Rotom that aren't Timid + Max Speed, then kill with Earthquake. Starmie, on the other hand, loses either way to Mega Gengar. Whether you spin or attack, if Mega Gengar switches in, it will either survive or block the spin, then proceed to trap and kill you.

You can play around opposing Rotom-W by using your own Rotom-W in tandem with Excadrill. If you're predicting a Volt Switch or Thundebolt, you can simply switch Excadrill in to retaliate. On the other hand, if you predict a burn, then you can take the burn and Volt Switch out. If you were to run Chestorest Rotom, then you'd be able to sleep off the burn and heal yourself later in the game. Either way, running Rotom-W for your team helps the Rotom-W weakness a little bit without having to go overboard and destroying your momentum with something like a Gastrodon.

Rotom-W@Chesto Berry
bold 252 hp / 252 def / 4 sdef
Thunderbolt/Volt Switch/Hydro Pump/Rest

Excadrill@Air Balloon
Mold Breaker jolly 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 hp
Earthquake/Rapid Spin/Rock Slide/Swords Dance

gl with this team, hope I helped.

Thanks so much for the rate, definitely gonna try them out. Before I added Gastrodon, I had to play around Rotom-W quite a lot, so I think your suggestions are definitely in my playstyle. Starmie is probably the weakest link on my team, but I kept it around to deal some special hits, especially on Gliscor, but with the Rotom suggestion I can see Excadrill working very well.

So thanks again!