For the first time in... forever? More than a couple sample teams to cut your teeth with. As always, Pokepastes available by clicking on the mons for each team. There's a couple older ones in
this post from the discussion thread, though it's up to you to decide whether they're ahead of their time, or perfectly dated. I'm also not including them directly in this post because the lack of EV explanations elsewhere make them significantly worse as learning resources.
If you notice any trend, it's that Salamence is an insanely versatile lead, and that Skarmory is ridiculously common. Keep this in mind when building your own teams.
Spikes
The following structures are a blend of balance, bulky offense, and straight offense. Overall, Spikes structures are likely the most consistent, versatile style in 200. For more information, read
Celdanami's post.
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- MiloSkarm Balance (by Noitu)
The big idea is that CB Salamence is very scary with Spikes support and the elimination of opposing Skarmory, and is more or less able to break anything in the tier. With careful Skarmory play, this team is defensively sturdy into opposing DD Gyarados. Furthermore, endgame Milotic and Curse Registeel more or less defensively check everything in the tier while forcing good progress.
With 3 Steel-types, Refresh Milotic is a little unecessary, hence why it's Toxic 2A instead. This Magneton set allows it to beat opposing trapper Magneton, while typically outspeeding Adamant Gyarados trying to set up on it greedily.
Jolly Salamence is ran over Adamant, since the extra damage is unecessary with Spikes support and the pressure the rest of the team poses. Skarmory outpaces max speed neutral nature Camerupt and creeps opposing Skarmory for the Roar mirrors. Registeel's little attack investment ensures its EQ can OHKO Magneon without a Curse boost. Milotic has enough speed to creep max speed neutral nature Gorebyss, though it can absolutely sacrifice a few more defense EVs to creep faster Metagross.
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/ - OffSkarm Lead Spikes Offense (by Waffleztastegood)
With Taunt Skarmory, Regice, and Dusclops, setting up against this team is a challenge. Dusclops spinblocks for Skarmory, allowing Spikes to remain up for the rest of the team to abuse. Mixed Metagross baits in Skarmory and Water-types that otherwise resist Mash, forcing chip against them. In the endgame, DD Gyarados functions as a strong Spikes-immune wincon into the bulky structures that otherwise outlasts ToxTect Regice. The bulk of these mons typically allows them to trade up against opposing setup sweepers that do get the chance to do their thing.
Speedcreep on Regice is for opposing base 50s and -speed nature Swampert and Weezing. Dusclops attack EVs are to OHKO Alakazam, with the speedcreep being for opposing Dusclops.
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- Glalie Spikes Lead Rain HO (by Celdanami)
This is a faster paced rain team, which I discuss in more detail
here in 'Structures and Cores'. To paraphrase what I said there though, Glalie's ability to retain Spikes, and the offensively-minded spinblocking of Banette, allows this team to aggressively trade down pieces with the Regis. On the revenge kill, the team can set up a Gorebyss assault, blowing many of the opponent's Spikes-chipped mons to smithereens. Manectric's ability to paralyze self sufficiently and phaze defensive structures repeatedly on Spikes makes it effective on this team.
The Glalie EVs, in short, allow it to 1v1 any Salamence lead comfortably, while outspeeding lead Skarmory for Taunt. Banette's spread allows it to 4KHO Milotic with TBolt after 1 Spikes layer, with enough speed to outspeed most bulky unboosted Kingdra.
Speedcreep on Regice and Regirock is for opposing base 50s and -speed nature Swampert and Weezing. This Manectric spread creeps Modest Starmie.
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/ - MagDuck Swellow (by miraaa)
With Magneton to eliminate Skarmory, the combination of Swellow and Mixed Salamence on Spikes should be enough to win a game. Additionally, bulky Golduck + Magneton is a game winner in itself. If you can bait Toxic into an unrevealed Swellow with Regice or Golduck, then its Facade will OHKO nearly everything in the tier, especially with a Spikes layer. Even without it though, its spammable 153BP Return 2KHOs most grounded threats.
To enable this offense even more, Salamence acts as an early game Fighting-type switchin that can reliably threaten the likes of Regirock and prevent Gyarados from sweeping with its choice of coverage here. Zap Cannon Regice makes it better into the Regice Mirror, while also giving it something significant to do into Metagross or Registeel switchins.
Speedcreep on Regice is for opposing base 50s and -speed nature Swampert and Weezing. Skarmory outpaces max speed neutral nature Camerupt and creeps opposing Skarmory for the Roar mirrors. This Golduck spread ensures it can 1v1 Modest Starmie after a couple CMs with Rest, while outpacing the 209 speedtier that most Agility/RD sweepers get to.
Spikeless Offense
Just because Spikes are incredible does not mean that Spikeless structures are unviable, of course. The big difference is that they must find unconventional ways of breaking down grounded mons to Spikes teams, and often can't win in straight wars of attrition.
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/ - DD King Memento Garde HO (by miraaa)
CM Alakazam lead and an unconventional Salamence gives this team a way to quickly break down DD Kingdra's biggest threats. Skarmory and Explosion users like the Regis and Claydol need to be eliminated for Kingdra to become a wincon. Likewise, Modest Starmie thrives in situations where the opponent's team is beaten down. Fast Hypnosis + Memento Garde can deny the opponent enough turns on their mons so that repeated assaults from Starmie and DD Kingdra become untenable. Explosion Registeel acts as a stopgap against many of the teams that can quickly overwhelm with a smart double or revenge kill switchin.
The lead Alakazam could very well run Modest + Charcoal to OHKO Metagross and chip down Skarmory even more, but the utility of Lum + Synchronize help it to come in later to threaten a sweep of its own, while also being unthreatened by bulky Salamence or Milotic leads. Likewise, Kingdra could realistically be a bulkier variant (e.g., 252 HP/156 Def/100 SpDef, Careful Nature) to be a sturdier individual wincon, but the offensive investment allows it to be played much more flexibly throughout a game alongside the 2 other setup threats, while also helping it to break for Starmie.
The speed EVs allow Kingdra outspeed Modest Starmie after 1 DD. Salamence, at base, outspeeds 252+ base 80 speed mons. Its Naughty nature also allows it to dent Skarmory even more. Gardevoir creeps those trying to creep max speed neutral nature base 85 speed mons. Registeel's attack allows it to 2KHO Leftovers Alakazam with EQ, while also giving its Explosion and Focus Punch some much needed firepower.
Both of these next teams are also in the
rain post I have linked a couple times before, but I'll paraphrase here:
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/// - Gorebyss Rain Spam (by miraaa)
Gorebyss Lead with additional Electrode support can bluster through defensive checks like nothing else. Gyarados, Electrode, and Refreh Golduck have ways of pressuring Milotic. Without these mons, then Milotic hard walls this team entirely. Gyarados and Kingdra pressure like nothing else in the endgame, with most teams unable to take them out swiftly, and their damage output being hard to manage even only after one turn of setup.
Golduck shares the OffCune speed tier, and for the same reasons as OffCune in OU. Electrode more or less has to run a +Speed nature for +1 speed Adamant Gyarados, Jolly Swellow, and Swift Swim Gorebyss. Kingdra and Regice both have a little extra speedcreep so that they can win out in the mirror, though this is a tad unecessary.
///// - Spikeless Rain HO (by FrankMarley)
CB Salamence can be divebombed into the opponent for damage here, allowing Regice to click Rain Dance and start generating value for midgame Gorebyss. Itemless Thief Manectric acts as a way to create progress in the face of Regice and Registeel to make Gorebyss' life easier into Protect Regice especially. Thieving leftovers is especially important without the Spikes that usually mitigate them on grounded mons. Metagross does well to trade up for an effective Gyarados endgame.
Adamant Salamence is necessary on Spikeless. Speedcreep on bulky Protect Metagross is to outpeed uninvested/4EVs speed on Claydol.
Speedcreep on Regice is for opposing base 50s and -speed nature Swampert and Weezing. This Manectric spread creeps Modest Starmie.
Stall/Bulky
More underexplored than the offensive styles, the capabilities and precise cores for Stall or bulkier structures are still not entirely understood. Here are two teams as a starting point.
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/// - MiloSkarm Stall (by Noitu)
Salamence and Donphan act as this team's physically defensive answer into most attackers, with Milotic and Rest Regice helping on the special end. Skarmory must be carefully preserved in order to phaze DD sweepers and pressure the opponent with Spikes. A double from Skarmory to Donphan is advisable into unrevealed teams with potential Magneton. Without Sableye, this team would very liable to be ran over by Alakazam, as well as other Psychic-types. Milotic circumvents this team's big Gorebyss weakness. Fitting Roar over Wish on Salamence or Rest on Donphan may be preferable, though is not necessary.
This Salamence outspeeds max speed boosting nature base 70s, while still keeping it offensively apt. With Physdef Milotic and Skarmory on the team, Donphan's physical prowess is prioritised.
Speedcreep on Regice, Sableye, and Donphan are for opposing base 50s and -speed nature Swampert and Weezing. Milotic has enough speed to creep max speed neutral nature Gorebyss, though it can absolutely sacrifice a few more defense EVs to creep faster Metagross. Skarmory outpaces max speed neutral nature Camerupt and creeps opposing Skarmory for the Roar mirrors.
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/ - Wish Mence + FWG Stall (by miraaa)
Wish Salamence acts as this team's big physically defensive piece and phazer instead of Skarmory. The benefit is that Magneton is unable to trap much of anything here, mitigating what most offensive teams use to break bulkier structures down. Roselia plays many roles here -- Spikes user, Cleric, Grass type for FWG, and as the team's Toxic immunity. The FWG and the rest of the structure play a little bit of defend-the-plant since it's having to juggle all of these roles in one slot. Light Screen Milotic helps to insulate the team against special attackers, and entirely nullifies Rain. Ice Beam Milotic is unecessary with this Salamence set designed to beat the DD mons so hard. Milotic also checks the otherwise Intimidate-immune Metagross, no matter the set. Ninetales can drop Will-O, since Dusclops is so good at clicking the move itself, and instead forces Swampert into awkward positions. If they're Rest Swampert, then repeated HP Grass will get them; if they're non-Rest, a stray Toxic or Will-O will do it in instead. SpDef Rest Claydol obviously synergises well with Roselia Aromatherapy, and also acts as an alternate status absorber alongside Rest Dusclops. Mean Look Dusclops can force KOs with Pressure + Rest into the opponent's bulky options, with Night Shade being its tool of choice to spread consistent chip with Will-O. As always, Spinblocking here is great, but Dusclops does not need to run invested Shadow Ball to OHKO Alakazam on a team with this much special bulk.
This Salamence has enough speed to outpace Adamant Gyarados (and other mons trying to creep that same speed tier, by benefit of Timid nature). Whether or not just running 252HP/252Def with Mence is up to player preference more or less, though. As this team really wants to beat Metagross with Milotic, it's running enough speed to outpace the faster Agility variant (Meta hits 209 to outspeed Electrode at +2), as well as bulky variants of Swift Swim mons at +0, like Kingdra or Ludicolo. Roselia's physical defense investment allows it to survive uninvested Skarmory Drill Peck after 1 round of Spikes and Lefties chip. This allows it to come in after a revenge kill and click Leech Seed + Protect to annoy the Skarmory, or establish just 1 more Spikes layer for itself in the endgame. Ninetales' speedcreep means it outspeeds all Lanturn variants, as well as max speed positive nature base 70 mons. Claydol's speedcreep means it outspeeds bulky Agility Metagross (Meta hits 198 to outspeed Crobat at +2).
ADV Ubers
ADV UUBL
ADV UU
ADV NU
ADV PU
ADV ZU
ADV SU
ADV LC
ADV Doubles
ADV JAA
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- Swampert
- Blaziken
- Ludicolo
- Lanturn
- Dodrio
- Medicham
- Flygon
- Heracross
- Weezing
- Rhydon
- Hariyama
- Slaking
- Breloom
- Solrock
- Grumpig
- Raichu
- Ninjask
- Vileplume
- Golem
- Walrein
- Camerupt
- Linoone
- Trapinch
- Crobat
- Machamp
- Shiftry
- Wailord
- Zangoose
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