This team is mainly about a certain core. The reason I made this team was because I always liked Shiftry but then I realized that an NU equivalent is Cacturne, and then I realized that it sorta combos with Pyroar and Mismagius. After some testing, here's what I got:
Crust Claw (Crustle) (M) @Leftovers Red Card
Ability: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs:252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD 252 Spe 252 Atk 4 Def
Adamant Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
-X-Scissor Knock Off
-Stone Edge Rock Blast
The lead to this team. I really like Crustle as a lead due to the fact that it has ways of overcoming Xatu, a danger to hazards,and Archeops, a taunt lead, and also has sturdy, stealth rock, and spikes. It is also part of the hazard/spinblock/pawniard core that shares a member with the main core in this team. I think the EV spread I use is good for actually dealing damage, because usually stuff deals no damage, or it goes all the way down to 1.
EDIT: changed set
King Pawn (Pawniard) (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
Well, this is a pretty standard Pawniard set. There really isn't much to say. Swords Dance is a must, as it allows it to deal decent damage. Knock Off is high BP STAB and knocks off an item. Sucker punch for STAB priority, and Iron Head for a non-Dark STAB move. Synergizes with both Levitators for a free switch, also with Mismagius because Mismagius is immune to fighting.
Miss Mismag (Mismagius) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
-Nasty Plot Taunt
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
-Substitute Destiny Bond
This is the member of two cores. It serves as a spinblocker, for obvious reasons, but it is also part of the main core. Both cacturne and pyroar are weak to fighting, and this is immune. Furthermore, this can set up on any Fighting type without Knock Off and can sweep. Substitute is great for scouting and also stopping powerful prio, such as Sucker Punch.
EDIT: Move change
Thorn Edge (Cacturne) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252HP Spe / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch
This is really the star of the team. The pokes it will switch into cannot deal much damage to it and can be set up on or are forced out. Life Orb is so that it can dish out pain without boost, and I have tested it and found it to be better than Lefties. Also, this has the nice bonus of being immune to Scald. I don't invest in Speed because it already outspeeds slower things and doesn't really need to outspeed max speed Golem, and because it needs the bulk.
EDIT: Changed HP to Spe
Pyro Voice (Pyroar) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Moxie Unnerve
EVs: 4 Atk HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Wild Charge Will-O-Wisp
- Hyper Voice
- Hidden Power [Grass]
This is a good lure and potential sweeper. It lures out golem etc and seismitoad etc, for Cacturne to set up on. Wild Charge is because after a few Moxies, it becomes extremely useful. HP Grass for if Cacturne is dead. Fire Blast w/ LO does amazing damage and can 2HKO many things neutral to fire. Hyper Voice is for fire resists, and it is a powerful STAB. If you think this would be better w/o Wild Charge then just say so.
EDIT: Prob right, no WC
Icy Tears (Cryogonal) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Frost Breath
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Confuse Ray
This is just a rapid spinner, and it has the bonus of immunity to spikes. Frost Breath deals more than Ice Beam, Confuse Ray can get turns if lucky, and Recover is recovery. It kinda synergizes with Pyroar to cover Klinklang and Cacturne to cover Golem-types. It also adds ice coverage, which I think is nice. It can function as a Special wall even without any investment due to its high base SpD. It can take non-super effecive attacks surprisingly well.
Candy Puff (Slurpuff) (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Endeavor
- Substitute
Brawlfest suggested this and I think it is a great idea! Resists fighting and can lure physical walls and then Sub/Endure them. Has potential to sweep/deal massive damage. Offensive pressure is always nice, and the threat of a sweep can be a major benefit. I will add more once I test this out.
Fossil of NU (Kabutops) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
- Rapid Spin
Soulgazer is probably right. It serves as a spinner and a good fire resist and can stop rain teams. And its walls can be removed by my other pokes. It also can bait out Palpitoad, the main free turn for Cacturne. The water coverage and more solid rock (bad pun ik) coverage will probably help my team too.
U got Jynx'd! (Jynx) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Lovely Kiss
- Trick
This is probably also going to be nice because I don't have a sleep inducer, a fast poke, a Scarf/Trick (which will help w/ free switches and setup), or ice coverage. All of these will now be included in my team. I might swap out Psychic tho, b/c it isn't the best coverage type, but I will test it first.
The biggest threat, IMO, is Thick Fat AV Hariyama. These are rare, but can take out 2 pokes. I definitely have ways of taking them out without more casualties than that, though.It definitely is weak to fighting a bit, but i really don't have much trouble tbh.
EDIT: Not sure now, edit soon.
Teambuilding process
I wanted a Cacturne team, so I started off with that. I tried lefties first.
Then I thought I wanted a hazard setter. I went with Crustle because it came with Sturdy and Rock and Bug coverage, and the set remains unchanged.
Then I wanted a spinblocker. I looked for all NU and PU ghost types, and, loving setup sweepers, I went with Mismagius.
Then I went lookin for NU cores and found Spiker+Spinblocker+Pawniard. I decided to put in a Pawniard.
I have used Cryogonal many times before as a reliable NU spinner, and so I used it again, needing a spinner.
I threw in Pyroar because I like fire spam a lot. Little did I know about the Cacturne-Pyroar-Mismagius synergy.
After testing my team, I made the changes of Life Orb on cacturne and HP Grass on Pyroar.
I then made the changes that Brawlfest suggested to me, except for substituting Taunt for Nasty Plot, due to the fact that Mismagius has helped me many times after setting up one or two. So my team now has a Slurpuff rather than a Cryogonal.
EDIT: I have changed to taunt.
I also decided to take Soulgazer's advice with Kabu and Jynx.
Crust Claw (Crustle) (M) @
Ability: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs:
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
-
-
The lead to this team. I really like Crustle as a lead due to the fact that it has ways of overcoming Xatu, a danger to hazards,and Archeops, a taunt lead, and also has sturdy, stealth rock, and spikes. It is also part of the hazard/spinblock/pawniard core that shares a member with the main core in this team. I think the EV spread I use is good for actually dealing damage, because usually stuff deals no damage, or it goes all the way down to 1.
EDIT: changed set
Ability: Defiant
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
Well, this is a pretty standard Pawniard set. There really isn't much to say. Swords Dance is a must, as it allows it to deal decent damage. Knock Off is high BP STAB and knocks off an item. Sucker punch for STAB priority, and Iron Head for a non-Dark STAB move. Synergizes with both Levitators for a free switch, also with Mismagius because Mismagius is immune to fighting.
Miss Mismag (Mismagius) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
-
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
-
This is the member of two cores. It serves as a spinblocker, for obvious reasons, but it is also part of the main core. Both cacturne and pyroar are weak to fighting, and this is immune. Furthermore, this can set up on any Fighting type without Knock Off and can sweep. Substitute is great for scouting and also stopping powerful prio, such as Sucker Punch.
EDIT: Move change
Thorn Edge (Cacturne) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch
This is really the star of the team. The pokes it will switch into cannot deal much damage to it and can be set up on or are forced out. Life Orb is so that it can dish out pain without boost, and I have tested it and found it to be better than Lefties. Also, this has the nice bonus of being immune to Scald. I don't invest in Speed because it already outspeeds slower things and doesn't really need to outspeed max speed Golem, and because it needs the bulk.
EDIT: Changed HP to Spe
Ability: Moxie Unnerve
EVs: 4 Atk HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Wild Charge Will-O-Wisp
- Hyper Voice
- Hidden Power [Grass]
This is a good lure and potential sweeper. It lures out golem etc and seismitoad etc, for Cacturne to set up on. Wild Charge is because after a few Moxies, it becomes extremely useful. HP Grass for if Cacturne is dead. Fire Blast w/ LO does amazing damage and can 2HKO many things neutral to fire. Hyper Voice is for fire resists, and it is a powerful STAB. If you think this would be better w/o Wild Charge then just say so.
EDIT: Prob right, no WC
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Frost Breath
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Confuse Ray
This is just a rapid spinner, and it has the bonus of immunity to spikes. Frost Breath deals more than Ice Beam, Confuse Ray can get turns if lucky, and Recover is recovery. It kinda synergizes with Pyroar to cover Klinklang and Cacturne to cover Golem-types. It also adds ice coverage, which I think is nice. It can function as a Special wall even without any investment due to its high base SpD. It can take non-super effecive attacks surprisingly well.
Candy Puff (Slurpuff) (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Endeavor
- Substitute
Brawlfest suggested this and I think it is a great idea! Resists fighting and can lure physical walls and then Sub/Endure them. Has potential to sweep/deal massive damage. Offensive pressure is always nice, and the threat of a sweep can be a major benefit. I will add more once I test this out.
Fossil of NU (Kabutops) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
- Rapid Spin
Soulgazer is probably right. It serves as a spinner and a good fire resist and can stop rain teams. And its walls can be removed by my other pokes. It also can bait out Palpitoad, the main free turn for Cacturne. The water coverage and more solid rock (bad pun ik) coverage will probably help my team too.
U got Jynx'd! (Jynx) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Lovely Kiss
- Trick
This is probably also going to be nice because I don't have a sleep inducer, a fast poke, a Scarf/Trick (which will help w/ free switches and setup), or ice coverage. All of these will now be included in my team. I might swap out Psychic tho, b/c it isn't the best coverage type, but I will test it first.
The biggest threat, IMO, is Thick Fat AV Hariyama. These are rare, but can take out 2 pokes. I definitely have ways of taking them out without more casualties than that, though.It definitely is weak to fighting a bit, but i really don't have much trouble tbh.
EDIT: Not sure now, edit soon.
Teambuilding process
I wanted a Cacturne team, so I started off with that. I tried lefties first.
Then I thought I wanted a hazard setter. I went with Crustle because it came with Sturdy and Rock and Bug coverage, and the set remains unchanged.
Then I wanted a spinblocker. I looked for all NU and PU ghost types, and, loving setup sweepers, I went with Mismagius.
Then I went lookin for NU cores and found Spiker+Spinblocker+Pawniard. I decided to put in a Pawniard.
I have used Cryogonal many times before as a reliable NU spinner, and so I used it again, needing a spinner.
I threw in Pyroar because I like fire spam a lot. Little did I know about the Cacturne-Pyroar-Mismagius synergy.
After testing my team, I made the changes of Life Orb on cacturne and HP Grass on Pyroar.
I then made the changes that Brawlfest suggested to me, except for substituting Taunt for Nasty Plot, due to the fact that Mismagius has helped me many times after setting up one or two. So my team now has a Slurpuff rather than a Cryogonal.
EDIT: I have changed to taunt.
I also decided to take Soulgazer's advice with Kabu and Jynx.
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