Reffrey
Banned deucer.
Welcome to my first RMT for generation 8. Today I bring a team that I've been working on and tweaking for about a month, and as the title of this RMT implies, I managed to get to #12 on ladder with it in less than 24 hours, with a 37-0 win-streak. Without further ado, let's get to the team:
Pokemon 1:
Zacian (Zacian-Crowned) @ Rusted Sword
Ability: Intrepid Sword
EVs: 136 Atk / 120 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Behemoth Blade
- Play Rough
- Swords Dance
- Sacred Sword
Set Details: While the move-set is fairly standard for Crowned Zacian, the EVs are probably different than what most people run. 120 EVs invested in Defense allow Zacian to almost always survive a behemoth blade from an opposing +2 ditto. In fact, It takes either a max roll or a crit to OHKO this Zacian set with a ditto (granted that Zacian is at full HP). The only other noteworthy detail about this set is my choice of running Sacred Sword over Close Combat. From the experience I've had with this team, Sacred Sword simply comes across as a better move. The defense drops from Close Combat mitigate the extra power that it grants over Sacred Sword, and if I were to run Close Combat, there wouldn't be any point in running the EVs that I've selected (because of the Defense drop).
Pokemon 2:
Rayquaza (Rayquaza-Mega) @ Life Orb
Ability: Delta Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Dragon Ascent
- Extreme Speed
- V-create
- Draco Meteor
Set Details: This is definitely a rather unorthodox Mega Rayquaza set. The move-set appears to be one that would fit on a scarfed Rayquaza, but instead a Life Orb is used. The simple reason for this is my next Pokemon, which is scarfed Ditto. While it may be tempting to run Dragon Dance and replace one of the attacking moves, I have found that Dragon Dance Life Orb Rayquaza just isn't as useful as it was in generation 7, the reason here being that it often takes too much damage before it gets to set up, and if it does set up, the prevalence of scarfed Ditto hurts it even further. Although this set may seem not so good at first-glance, it fits surprisingly well on the team, as can be seen in the replays that will be provided below. The biggest thing that it does is surprise opposing support Arceus forms by slamming them with a Draco Meteor, and it also often picks up an OHKO on Primal Groudon because Special Defense investment in said Pokemon is now less common.
Pokemon 3:
Ditto (Ditto) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 31 Atk / 0 Spe
- Transform
Set Details: This is literally the standard scarfed Ditto set, so there isn't much to explain about it. I will say though, for those of you who don't play AG in generation 8; this Pokemon is now a staple of the meta due to its ability to perfectly counter Crowned Zacian, which is arguably the most potent Pokemon in the game (as of the current consensus and usage trends).
Pokemon 4:
Groudon (Groudon-Primal) @ Red Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 140 Def / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Precipice Blades
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Roar
Set Details: To make things brief, this is just a physically defensive Stealth Rocker Pdon with Stone Edge. As much as I would like to run Fire Punch and get the STAB and sun boost, Stone Edge is crucial for getting the OHKO on Ho-Oh. The bulk investment allows it to survive a Precipice Blades from an opposing max attack Primal Groudon as long as it's at full HP. I've noticed that a lot of people aren't a fan of Roar on Groudon, but again, on this team Roar is a crucial move. If not for Roar, baton passers and set up sweepers would have a much easier time plowing through this team. I'd also like to note that I've tried using Rock Tomb and Rock Slide in place of Stone Edge, and Stone Edge has come across as the better choice for this set. Also, because Groudon isn't running Fire Punch, it needs Precipice Blades over Earthquake for the extra damage.
Pokemon 5:
Xerneas (Xerneas) @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 108 Def / 252 SpA / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Geomancy
- Thunder
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Set Details: This Pokemon right here is just stupidly strong. Once it sets up a Geomancy and a Dynamax, it can plow through almost anything as long as it is used at the right moment. The EVs are pretty much as optimal as they can get, and it needs to run the 148 Speed investment instead of the usual 88 because scarfed Rayquaza is much more common than it used to be. My own Rayquaza set also runs a speed increasing nature, so these EVs significantly reduce the threat of opposing scarfed Dittos if they copy my Rayquaza.
Pokemon 6:
Lugia (Lugia) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
- Ice Beam
Set Details: At last, the team member that pulls all of the synergy together. I've seen Lugia get a lot of criticism for being inferior to Lunala and Ho-Oh, but trust me, when it gets "the boots," Lugia is a surprisingly effective wall. Most people probably don't use Lugia as their defogger, but for me it has worked quite well. Due to the way that my team is designed, Lugia needs to run Ice Beam and unfortunately doesn't have room for Whirlwind. It may seem tempting to take Roar off of Primal Groudon and then give Whirlwind to Lugia, but trust me, at least from what I've tried it's not as good.
Replays
As I mentioned, this team managed to go 37-0 and hit #12 on Ladder in just a single day. I began laddering yesterday at around 7:00 PM (EST), then went to bed and played the remainder of my games this morning. Since my 37-0 I did play one other game (with a different team, like an idiot) and I lost, so now the account I was using is 37-1, as of the time that I'm posting this RMT. I still have the screenshot of my 37-0 provided below, as well as all 37 of my replays (all were Privated by me).
Game 1: Elo 1000 - 1048 / Nothing notable here, this guy didn't even have 6 Pokemon
Game 2: Elo 1048 - 1082 / Nothing notable, instant forfeit
Game 3: Elo 1082 - 1109 / Another weak opponent
Game 4: Elo 1109 - 1134 / Guy used an OU team, put up more of a fight than first 3 but easy win
Game 5: Elo 1134 - 1160 / Instant forfeit
Game 6: Elo 1160 - 1174 / First guy with an actual AG team, but an easy win
Game 7: Elo 1174 - 1194 / Another OU team
Game 8: Elo 1194 - 1219 / Easy win
Game 9: Elo 1219 - 1254 / This guy put up more of a fight than I expected to say the least
Game 10: Elo 1254 - 1276 / Instant forfeit
Game 11: Elo 1276 - 1311 / I played this game perfectly, albeit the opponent wasn't the greatest
Game 12: Elo 1311 - 1329 / vs IronedSandwich, who gave me a scare but I won by making good plays
Game 13: Elo 1329 - 1341 / Instant forfeit
Game 14: Elo 1341 - 1357 / This guy nearly beat me, but I won by the skin of my teeth
Game 15: Elo 1357 - 1374 / This guy forfeited after a few turns despite having a decent team, because I played perfectly
Game 16: Elo 1374 - 1388 / This guy had forfeited to me t1 previously, this time he decided to give it a go but it wasn't a difficult win
Game 17: Elo 1388 - 1403 / An absolute domination match against a not so bad team
Game 18: Elo 1403 - 1421 / A narrow victory against a decently skilled opponent
Game 19: Elo 1421 - 1444 / A 103 turn match against user "higgiesmalls," who was using a decent balance. Managed to maintain control throughout the match.
Game 20: Elo 1444 - 1455 / A perfectly executed domination
Game 21: Elo 1455 - 1471 / An absolute curbstomp against someone who was using what looked like a modified "Zygarde and Birds" team by Ropalme1914
Game 22: Elo 1471 - 1488 / An early game forfeit
Game 23: Elo 1488 - 1506 / A clutch victory against Jwaceking, who is a skilled player on the ladder who I've faced many times on alts
Game 24: Elo 1506 - 1522 / A well earned win against a pretty skilled opponent
Game 25: Elo 1522 - 1547 / A curbstomp against a top 50 player, not sure who it is (could it be ADF?, I honestly don't know).
Game 26: Elo 1547 - 1555 / This was a terrifying battle because I made a few misplays but I scratched the win
Game 27: Elo 1555 - 1575 / A surprising curbstomp against Calaga385, who was using the same team that the current #1 ladder player is using
Game 28: Elo 1575 - 1583 / A not-so-difficult win
Game 29: Elo 1583 - 1601 / A clear-cut victory against who I believe was either Pokevana or GRNxBLN on an alt
Game 30: Elo 1601 - 1611 / A fun battle and well-earned win
Game 31: Elo 1611 - 1625 / Relatively smooth victory against a cottony user
Game 32: Elo 1625 - 1631 / A curbstomp and early game forfeit
Game 33: Elo 1631 - 1642 / Another win against Jwaceking, but I played much better in this battle than in the previous one
Game 34: Elo 1642 - 1650 / A well executed victory against someone named "Greek Gods," which inspired me to name this team "The Blades of Chaos."
Game 35: Elo 1650 - 1662 / A perfectly played battle against a skilled opponent, not sure who it was.
Game 36: Elo 1662 - 1670 / A well earned win (again)
Game 37: Elo 1670 - 1679 / The last battle of the winstreak and a very close one at that.
Shoutout: Jwaceking, for being a nice guy and not complaining about hax (a lot of users on the ladder are super toxic, and this guy isn't). I stopped talking in ladder battles to avoid arguing with people and this dude was a reminder that not every skilled player is a sore loser when it comes to this game (like yours truly, me!).
Proof of Peak:
Additional comments: You may have noticed that this team looks very similar to a team that I used in the Gen 8 AG tour (if you watched my replays), and that's because it is the same team, but with improvements. I have laddered with earlier versions of this team many times over the past month, but I didn't achieve this amount of success with the team until now. If I hadn't received that 1 loss after my 37-0, I probably would've continued to ladder with this team but as of now, I have pretty much made up my mind that I'm not going to be laddering with this specific team again, hence why I decided to RMT it. If sample teams are made for Gen 8 Nat Dex AG soon, I would hope that this team would be considered for samples, or at least as a team showcase.
Team Pokepaste
Pokemon 1:
Zacian (Zacian-Crowned) @ Rusted Sword
Ability: Intrepid Sword
EVs: 136 Atk / 120 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Behemoth Blade
- Play Rough
- Swords Dance
- Sacred Sword
Set Details: While the move-set is fairly standard for Crowned Zacian, the EVs are probably different than what most people run. 120 EVs invested in Defense allow Zacian to almost always survive a behemoth blade from an opposing +2 ditto. In fact, It takes either a max roll or a crit to OHKO this Zacian set with a ditto (granted that Zacian is at full HP). The only other noteworthy detail about this set is my choice of running Sacred Sword over Close Combat. From the experience I've had with this team, Sacred Sword simply comes across as a better move. The defense drops from Close Combat mitigate the extra power that it grants over Sacred Sword, and if I were to run Close Combat, there wouldn't be any point in running the EVs that I've selected (because of the Defense drop).
Pokemon 2:
Rayquaza (Rayquaza-Mega) @ Life Orb
Ability: Delta Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Dragon Ascent
- Extreme Speed
- V-create
- Draco Meteor
Set Details: This is definitely a rather unorthodox Mega Rayquaza set. The move-set appears to be one that would fit on a scarfed Rayquaza, but instead a Life Orb is used. The simple reason for this is my next Pokemon, which is scarfed Ditto. While it may be tempting to run Dragon Dance and replace one of the attacking moves, I have found that Dragon Dance Life Orb Rayquaza just isn't as useful as it was in generation 7, the reason here being that it often takes too much damage before it gets to set up, and if it does set up, the prevalence of scarfed Ditto hurts it even further. Although this set may seem not so good at first-glance, it fits surprisingly well on the team, as can be seen in the replays that will be provided below. The biggest thing that it does is surprise opposing support Arceus forms by slamming them with a Draco Meteor, and it also often picks up an OHKO on Primal Groudon because Special Defense investment in said Pokemon is now less common.
Pokemon 3:
Ditto (Ditto) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 31 Atk / 0 Spe
- Transform
Set Details: This is literally the standard scarfed Ditto set, so there isn't much to explain about it. I will say though, for those of you who don't play AG in generation 8; this Pokemon is now a staple of the meta due to its ability to perfectly counter Crowned Zacian, which is arguably the most potent Pokemon in the game (as of the current consensus and usage trends).
Pokemon 4:
Groudon (Groudon-Primal) @ Red Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 140 Def / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Precipice Blades
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Roar
Set Details: To make things brief, this is just a physically defensive Stealth Rocker Pdon with Stone Edge. As much as I would like to run Fire Punch and get the STAB and sun boost, Stone Edge is crucial for getting the OHKO on Ho-Oh. The bulk investment allows it to survive a Precipice Blades from an opposing max attack Primal Groudon as long as it's at full HP. I've noticed that a lot of people aren't a fan of Roar on Groudon, but again, on this team Roar is a crucial move. If not for Roar, baton passers and set up sweepers would have a much easier time plowing through this team. I'd also like to note that I've tried using Rock Tomb and Rock Slide in place of Stone Edge, and Stone Edge has come across as the better choice for this set. Also, because Groudon isn't running Fire Punch, it needs Precipice Blades over Earthquake for the extra damage.
Pokemon 5:
Xerneas (Xerneas) @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 108 Def / 252 SpA / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Geomancy
- Thunder
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Set Details: This Pokemon right here is just stupidly strong. Once it sets up a Geomancy and a Dynamax, it can plow through almost anything as long as it is used at the right moment. The EVs are pretty much as optimal as they can get, and it needs to run the 148 Speed investment instead of the usual 88 because scarfed Rayquaza is much more common than it used to be. My own Rayquaza set also runs a speed increasing nature, so these EVs significantly reduce the threat of opposing scarfed Dittos if they copy my Rayquaza.
Pokemon 6:
Lugia (Lugia) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
- Ice Beam
Set Details: At last, the team member that pulls all of the synergy together. I've seen Lugia get a lot of criticism for being inferior to Lunala and Ho-Oh, but trust me, when it gets "the boots," Lugia is a surprisingly effective wall. Most people probably don't use Lugia as their defogger, but for me it has worked quite well. Due to the way that my team is designed, Lugia needs to run Ice Beam and unfortunately doesn't have room for Whirlwind. It may seem tempting to take Roar off of Primal Groudon and then give Whirlwind to Lugia, but trust me, at least from what I've tried it's not as good.
Replays
Game 1: Elo 1000 - 1048 / Nothing notable here, this guy didn't even have 6 Pokemon
Game 2: Elo 1048 - 1082 / Nothing notable, instant forfeit
Game 3: Elo 1082 - 1109 / Another weak opponent
Game 4: Elo 1109 - 1134 / Guy used an OU team, put up more of a fight than first 3 but easy win
Game 5: Elo 1134 - 1160 / Instant forfeit
Game 6: Elo 1160 - 1174 / First guy with an actual AG team, but an easy win
Game 7: Elo 1174 - 1194 / Another OU team
Game 8: Elo 1194 - 1219 / Easy win
Game 9: Elo 1219 - 1254 / This guy put up more of a fight than I expected to say the least
Game 10: Elo 1254 - 1276 / Instant forfeit
Game 11: Elo 1276 - 1311 / I played this game perfectly, albeit the opponent wasn't the greatest
Game 12: Elo 1311 - 1329 / vs IronedSandwich, who gave me a scare but I won by making good plays
Game 13: Elo 1329 - 1341 / Instant forfeit
Game 14: Elo 1341 - 1357 / This guy nearly beat me, but I won by the skin of my teeth
Game 15: Elo 1357 - 1374 / This guy forfeited after a few turns despite having a decent team, because I played perfectly
Game 16: Elo 1374 - 1388 / This guy had forfeited to me t1 previously, this time he decided to give it a go but it wasn't a difficult win
Game 17: Elo 1388 - 1403 / An absolute domination match against a not so bad team
Game 18: Elo 1403 - 1421 / A narrow victory against a decently skilled opponent
Game 19: Elo 1421 - 1444 / A 103 turn match against user "higgiesmalls," who was using a decent balance. Managed to maintain control throughout the match.
Game 20: Elo 1444 - 1455 / A perfectly executed domination
Game 21: Elo 1455 - 1471 / An absolute curbstomp against someone who was using what looked like a modified "Zygarde and Birds" team by Ropalme1914
Game 22: Elo 1471 - 1488 / An early game forfeit
Game 23: Elo 1488 - 1506 / A clutch victory against Jwaceking, who is a skilled player on the ladder who I've faced many times on alts
Game 24: Elo 1506 - 1522 / A well earned win against a pretty skilled opponent
Game 25: Elo 1522 - 1547 / A curbstomp against a top 50 player, not sure who it is (could it be ADF?, I honestly don't know).
Game 26: Elo 1547 - 1555 / This was a terrifying battle because I made a few misplays but I scratched the win
Game 27: Elo 1555 - 1575 / A surprising curbstomp against Calaga385, who was using the same team that the current #1 ladder player is using
Game 28: Elo 1575 - 1583 / A not-so-difficult win
Game 29: Elo 1583 - 1601 / A clear-cut victory against who I believe was either Pokevana or GRNxBLN on an alt
Game 30: Elo 1601 - 1611 / A fun battle and well-earned win
Game 31: Elo 1611 - 1625 / Relatively smooth victory against a cottony user
Game 32: Elo 1625 - 1631 / A curbstomp and early game forfeit
Game 33: Elo 1631 - 1642 / Another win against Jwaceking, but I played much better in this battle than in the previous one
Game 34: Elo 1642 - 1650 / A well executed victory against someone named "Greek Gods," which inspired me to name this team "The Blades of Chaos."
Game 35: Elo 1650 - 1662 / A perfectly played battle against a skilled opponent, not sure who it was.
Game 36: Elo 1662 - 1670 / A well earned win (again)
Game 37: Elo 1670 - 1679 / The last battle of the winstreak and a very close one at that.
Shoutout: Jwaceking, for being a nice guy and not complaining about hax (a lot of users on the ladder are super toxic, and this guy isn't). I stopped talking in ladder battles to avoid arguing with people and this dude was a reminder that not every skilled player is a sore loser when it comes to this game (like yours truly, me!).
Proof of Peak:
Additional comments: You may have noticed that this team looks very similar to a team that I used in the Gen 8 AG tour (if you watched my replays), and that's because it is the same team, but with improvements. I have laddered with earlier versions of this team many times over the past month, but I didn't achieve this amount of success with the team until now. If I hadn't received that 1 loss after my 37-0, I probably would've continued to ladder with this team but as of now, I have pretty much made up my mind that I'm not going to be laddering with this specific team again, hence why I decided to RMT it. If sample teams are made for Gen 8 Nat Dex AG soon, I would hope that this team would be considered for samples, or at least as a team showcase.
Team Pokepaste
Attachments
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