Yea I decided to do another one, I like talking to the void that is RMT. I initially made this team back in April 2024 in preparation for the grand finals of BDSP Winter Seasonal, it helped me secure the win back then and many times since then. I've been wanting to make a post about this team for a while now since I find it to be one of the most solid teams I've built and it's actually a sample team for BDSP OU currently. There's nothing that is "exciting" about this team, and I don't see any issue with that. The team is just fundamentally solid and has the ability to outplay nearly any matchup.
(click the sprites for the pokepaste)
Milotic Stall
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Recover
- Haze
When I started building I knew I wanted to start with Milotic for a few reasons. For starters it's a solid defensive option in BDSP OU with its great mixed bulk and access to Recover making it very difficult for some teams to take down. Secondly it was a Pokemon I had not used much at the time of building this team so I wanted to try building a team around it and seeing if it would be successful. Lastly BDSP had shifted over to viability based tiering about a week prior to building this team, allowing Milotic to rise from UU into OU, feeding into my desire to build it even more.
Now back to Milotic itself, like I said it's a solid defensive option thanks to its bulk, typing, and access to Recover letting it check a wide variety of threats in the tier. It can reliably answer Pokemon such as
Heatran, 
Gliscor, 
Weavile, 
Garchomp, 
Clefable, non-Thunderbolt 
Nidoking, and many more for this team while sticking around with ease thanks to Recover. Scald is Scald. It's a very spammable move which can be very difficult to switch into thanks to the 30% burn chance ruining a large amount of Pokemon. Milotic will have many opportunities to click this move throughout a game as it can be very difficult to remove it from the field once it hits it, allowing it many opportunities to spread burns. Ice Beam is used to hit Dragon and Grass types for super effective damage, namely on the switch. Haze lets Milotic shut down set up threats, namely slower ones (as in slower than Milotic (Belly Drum 
Azumarill, Calm Mind Clefable) and/or needing multiple boosts in order to become a notable threat (Calm Mind 
Suicune/ Clefable) in an instant, taking a lot of pressure off of Milotic's teammates, namely Clefable, in handling those threats.EV Spread: 48 Speed EVs outspeeds Adamant Crawdaunt, with an extra 4 EVs added to speed creep anything also creeping Crawdaunt. Maximum HP investment to maximize bulk on both sides with the rest invested into physical defense with a Bold nature letting Milotic check the many physical attackers in the tier as effectively as possible.
You can make Milotic slower with an EV spread of 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 Spe if you want it to be as bulky as possible. 8 Speed EVs let you outspeed Adamant Azumarill which lets you Haze away Belly Drum boosts before it can OHKO you.
Mirror Coat can be used a cheeky way of punishing special attackers like Rotom-Wash, Starmie, and Alakazam but Milotic has a very difficult time fitting the move. You also have partners such as Blissey who can handle those sorts of Pokemon anyways so the need for Mirror Coat shenanigans is very low.
Don't run Dragon Tail.
Don't run Flame Orb.
Mirror Coat can be used a cheeky way of punishing special attackers like Rotom-Wash, Starmie, and Alakazam but Milotic has a very difficult time fitting the move. You also have partners such as Blissey who can handle those sorts of Pokemon anyways so the need for Mirror Coat shenanigans is very low.
Don't run Dragon Tail.
Don't run Flame Orb.
Tangrowth
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder
When Milotic is used as the starting point for a team, it's likely that it would tend towards the fatter side of things. In this case, that meant I decided on building a stall team. Tangrowth is an incredible defensive mon in BDSP OU, and it is a staple on balance teams while being near-mandatory on stall. Its incredible physical bulk and Regenerator mean that Tangrowth can swap into a wide range of physical threats and remain healthy for later. This includes not just the likes of
Azumarill, Garchomp, and 
Crawdaunt, but also threats like Weavile, Choiced 
Infernape, 
Mamoswine, and 
Staraptor, though Tangrowth should only be swapping into the latter threats if it is desperately needed. Since it forgoes running an item, it stops moves like Knock Off and Trick from being free progress against stall teams. In fact, no item on Tangrowth is highly recommended not just on this team, but on most teams that opt to run it, since it lets it withstand Crawdaunt's Choice Band Knock Off, which it is otherwise 2HKOed by when holding an item.As for the moveset, Giga Drain keeps Tangrowth healthy and pressures Water- and Ground-types like
Rotom-Wash, Azumarill, and Gliscor. Knock Off is incredible for making progress, as none of the Knock Off absorbers (just opposing Tangrowth and Gliscor) actually want to deal with Tangrowth, so it is often able to score valuable progress against the opponent. Sludge Bomb is almost exclusively for opposing Tangrowth and 
Breloom, but it can be useful for fishing for poison against mons like Clefable on occasion. Lastly, Sleep Powder shuts down dangerous threats like +2 Garchomp in an instant, giving our team some room to breathe when faced with such a menace. Much like Knock Off, the usual switch-ins to Sleep Powder don't appreciate actually switching in to Tangrowth, so it can often find many opportunities to shut down the opponent.EV Spread: Seeing as Tangrowth is tasked with checking the many strong physical attackers in the tier, a simple max HP and max defense spread with a Bold nature was chosen. 8 Speed is speed creep for opposing Tangrowth.
Leech Seed can be run over Sleep Powder as another way of punishing switches as well as putting more pressure against bulkier foes with longevity such as Gliscor, Clefable, and Blissey. It pairs beautifully well with Knock Off too since you can remove the opponent's Leftovers and then punish them with a Leech Seed on a later switch in whose impact cannot be minimized with Leftovers recovery. More recovery for Tangrowth is also very nice to have.
Relaxed Nature can be run in order to give your Knock Off a bit more oomph but being slower against opposing Tangrowth is something I think should be avoided whenever possible.
If you really want to you can run Leftovers as its item for extra recovery though you must realize that in doing so you forfeit the ability to switch into Choice Band Crawdaunt Knock Off with hazards up which is one of Tangrowth's most important jobs on stall. It also means Tangrowth cannot absorb Trick from Rotom-Wash as effectively since Rotom would be receiving Leftovers recovery it would not be getting otherwise.
Similarly Yache Berry can be run in order to improve your Mamoswine and Weavile matchup a bit more as well as being able to take various Ice Beams but you still become unable to switch into Choice Band Crawdaunt Knock Off and you don't even get the benefit of passive recovery in order to somewhat offset that massive downside.
Relaxed Nature can be run in order to give your Knock Off a bit more oomph but being slower against opposing Tangrowth is something I think should be avoided whenever possible.
If you really want to you can run Leftovers as its item for extra recovery though you must realize that in doing so you forfeit the ability to switch into Choice Band Crawdaunt Knock Off with hazards up which is one of Tangrowth's most important jobs on stall. It also means Tangrowth cannot absorb Trick from Rotom-Wash as effectively since Rotom would be receiving Leftovers recovery it would not be getting otherwise.
Similarly Yache Berry can be run in order to improve your Mamoswine and Weavile matchup a bit more as well as being able to take various Ice Beams but you still become unable to switch into Choice Band Crawdaunt Knock Off and you don't even get the benefit of passive recovery in order to somewhat offset that massive downside.
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave
What is a stall team without a Blissey? Probably not good. With Tangrowth acting as the team's primary physical wall, there needed to be a special wall to balance things out. What better special wall is there then Blissey? None. It answers the wide array of special threats in the tier like
Starmie, 
Latias, 
Alakazam, and more, and uses the free to turns it gets to spread paralysis and set up Stealth Rock. There isn't too much of note to actually say about Blissey, to be honest, since it's such a simple and straightforward mon. You see one and you got an idea of why it's on the team and what it does.EV Spread: Maximum HP and defense investment since Blissey is so specially bulky it doesn't need to invest in its SpDef in order to answer special attackers. Also makes sure it doesn't crumple against any physical attack ever.
Technically there are some other options for Blissey but they're all reliant on Blissey dropping Stealth Rock and letting something else run it. I would advise against doing so since the only other viable Stealth Rock setter on this team would be Heatran, who is great at doing so don't get me wrong, but Blissey's longevity makes it a much better choice as a Stealth Rock setter for stall.
That being said if you do decide to take Stealth Rock off of Blissey you can opt to instead run Aromatherapy for cleric support, though this can be annoying for Gliscor to deal with, Ice Beam in order to get some decent chip damage on 4x weak targets such as Garchomp and Gliscor, or if you're insane enough, Counter to punish weaker physical moves and nab surprise KOs.
Personally I wouldn't recommend running any of those options on this team, but hey they're there if you want them.
That being said if you do decide to take Stealth Rock off of Blissey you can opt to instead run Aromatherapy for cleric support, though this can be annoying for Gliscor to deal with, Ice Beam in order to get some decent chip damage on 4x weak targets such as Garchomp and Gliscor, or if you're insane enough, Counter to punish weaker physical moves and nab surprise KOs.
Personally I wouldn't recommend running any of those options on this team, but hey they're there if you want them.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Wish
- Protect
- Calm Mind
Unaware Clefable is another stall staple that helps keep the large number of setup sweepers roaming the tier in check, with the only two it fears on a regular basis being offensive
Scizor and 
Lucario. Calm Mind increases the range of setup sweepers it can check, namely Calm Mind Latias and Nasty Plot Alakazam while also letting it serve as a powerful wincon. It acts as the team's primary answer to Dragon-types like Garchomp and 
Dragonite as well as providing a solid answer to the dangerous Weavile. Though Wish is primarily used to keep Clefable itself healthy, it can also let Clefable support its teammates by healing them up in a pinch. Heatran is particularly grateful to receive such support, though we'll get further into that later. Though it shouldn't be the team's primary answer to such threats, Clefable can act as a check to the likes of Mamoswine, Suicune, and Nasty Plot 
Togekiss. Oh, Clefable is also the main thing preventing 
Heracross from completely running through the team, but that will be discussed in further detail later.EV Spread: Max HP max defense with a Bold nature lets Clefable check the large amount of physical attackers in the tier, namely Pokemon such as Garchomp, Weavile, Dragonite, and more.
Nothing.
BDSP Clefable is already a rather rigid Pokemon in regards to its move set since it needs Wish and Protect for recovery on top of Moonblast for STAB which leaves it with only one free slot to work with in 99% of cases. On non stall teams you can occasionally get away with running Thunder Wave or Aromatherapy for team support or if you're feeling cheeky, running Flamethrower to snipe Scizor. However as I've already mentioned you really want Calm Mind here in order to more effectively withstand opposing setup sweepers and dropping it makes Clefable much less capable at doing so.
Magic Guard is also not advisable here as it makes you more vulnerable to various setup threats and the primary reasons to run Magic Guard (immunity to passive damage from status and hazards) are either much less prominent in BDSP or are made manageable by Clefable's teammates.
BDSP Clefable is already a rather rigid Pokemon in regards to its move set since it needs Wish and Protect for recovery on top of Moonblast for STAB which leaves it with only one free slot to work with in 99% of cases. On non stall teams you can occasionally get away with running Thunder Wave or Aromatherapy for team support or if you're feeling cheeky, running Flamethrower to snipe Scizor. However as I've already mentioned you really want Calm Mind here in order to more effectively withstand opposing setup sweepers and dropping it makes Clefable much less capable at doing so.
Magic Guard is also not advisable here as it makes you more vulnerable to various setup threats and the primary reasons to run Magic Guard (immunity to passive damage from status and hazards) are either much less prominent in BDSP or are made manageable by Clefable's teammates.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 148 SpD / 116 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Defog
- Roost
- Knock Off
With most of the team filled out, there was still the need for hazard control as well as a Ground-type. Thankfully, Gliscor provides both of those things while also helping the team play around threats like
Infernape, Lucario, Heatran, and Garchomp. Its Stealth Rock neutrality and Spikes immunity make it a rather reliable Defogger, though it can be prone to being overwhelmed by hazard seters like Swords Dance Garchomp and 
Mew. 
Skarmory also completely walls Gliscor and can set Spikes in its face for days. Knock Off makes decent progress unless there is an opposing Gliscor or a 
Tangrowth, in which case you cry as you get walled forever. Despite Gliscor's infamous reputation for being an insanely annoying and immortal being, it is actually rather easy to answer and break past in BDSP. This means that it will often be necessary to have it rely on other teammates to check the threats it is tasked with checking, though this also means that it can fulfill its role more effectively, since it won't be stretched thin while in battle.EV Spread: 244 HP maximizes Poison Heal recovery, 116 Speed and a Jolly nature outspeeds Timid Heatran and Adamant Lucario, letting it check both of them reliably by outspeeding and OHKOing them with Earthquake. Remaining EVs were dumped into SpDef in order to let Gliscor more reliably answer stuff such as Heatran and Magnezone, while also letting it survive weaker Ice Beams from the likes of defensive Starmie and Mew from full HP.
In terms of move set the only thing that should be considered for changes is Protect over Roost as your means of recovery alongside Poison Heal. This can help you scout choice locks from the likes of Weavile as well as giving you a bit immediate HP against mons such as Staraptor and Infernape. However you become much easier to wear down without the means of instantly recovering half your HP with Roost, notably Stealth Rock Heatran and Garchomp are much more capable of breaking through a Gliscor without Roost. On a stall team that relies on Gliscor as its means of hazard removal, this is a tough pill to swallow.
Gliscor's EV spread can be slower and with much more physical defense investment in order to improve its matchup against Lucario, Choice Band Infernape, Garchomp, and Staraptor. This comes as the cost of outspeeding Timid Heatran which makes that matchup shakier especially if it's their Stealth Rock setter.
Gliscor's EV spread can be slower and with much more physical defense investment in order to improve its matchup against Lucario, Choice Band Infernape, Garchomp, and Staraptor. This comes as the cost of outspeeding Timid Heatran which makes that matchup shakier especially if it's their Stealth Rock setter.
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 36 SpD / 220 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Taunt
- Protect
- Earth Power
When the last team member was being decided, there was notably no Fairy or Flying resist on the team. This meant that dealing with Choice Band
Azumarill Play Rough as well as Staraptor's Brave Bird was more difficult than I would like it to be. To make matters worse, I had realized that Metal Coat Scizor had a rather solid endgame matchup against the team, and that a hard counter was needed. With all of that in mind, I had settled on Heatran as the final member of the team. In one slot, it checks all of the aforementioned foes as well as the likes of Togekiss, Weavile, and the myriad of Grass-types in the tier while also providing tons of pressure with the classic Magma Storm + Taunt combo. Protect is useful for gaining extra Leftovers recovery and for scouting Choice locks from the likes of Garchomp, Infernape, Crawdaunt, and more. It also synergizes nicely with the aforementioned Magma Storm + Taunt combination since it guarantees an extra turn of chip damage against foes that might otherwise scare Heatran out. Earth Power covers opposing Heatran while hitting Waters for decent neutral damage. Heatran's lack of recovery can be a bit of a detriment, but its amazing defensive profile along with Protect and Wish support from Clefable help it stick around even in longer games.EV Spread: Maximum HP to maximize bulk on both sides. 220 Speed hits 245, giving it the jump on Timid Magnezone and any Mew/Celebi in the 241-244 range. It also outspeeds Jolly Tyranitar but Tyranitar is more or less a non factor in BDSP OU but you don't miss out on much bulk by EVing to outspeed it. Rest goes into SpDef with a Calm Nature in order to withstand Togekiss as much as possible.
Heatran can swap the small amount of SpDef EVs over to physical defense and run a Bold nature in order to more reliably check Weavile, if you're doing so be sure to swap Heatran's ability to Flame Body.
Flame Body can be run as Heatran's ability instead of Flash Fire in order to punish contact moves such as U-turn from Scizor or Weavile's Throat Chop.
Flash Cannon can be run be over Earth Power in order to threaten Togekiss more directly, though if you do so you're best off swapping to Flame Body as Heatran's ability as it can't check opposing Heatran as effectively without Earth Power.
Stealth Rock can be run over Protect in order to free up a move slot on Blissey. However while Heatran is a very effective Stealth Rock setter, Blissey is far preferred in that role on stall teams thanks to its longevity letting it set them up and keep them up over the course of a longer game much easier than Heatran.
Max Speed with a Timid Nature can be run if you want to be more secure against lead Skarmory HO teams as well as Adamant Heracross, the latter of whom is a massive threat to any stall team in BDSP.
Flame Body can be run as Heatran's ability instead of Flash Fire in order to punish contact moves such as U-turn from Scizor or Weavile's Throat Chop.
Flash Cannon can be run be over Earth Power in order to threaten Togekiss more directly, though if you do so you're best off swapping to Flame Body as Heatran's ability as it can't check opposing Heatran as effectively without Earth Power.
Stealth Rock can be run over Protect in order to free up a move slot on Blissey. However while Heatran is a very effective Stealth Rock setter, Blissey is far preferred in that role on stall teams thanks to its longevity letting it set them up and keep them up over the course of a longer game much easier than Heatran.
Max Speed with a Timid Nature can be run if you want to be more secure against lead Skarmory HO teams as well as Adamant Heracross, the latter of whom is a massive threat to any stall team in BDSP.
This part here is more or less theorymonning, since I haven't bothered testing the team with these options, but I do think they may be worth trying out.
Skarmory checks a lot of the same physical threats that Heatran can answer, like Scizor, Weavile, and Staraptor, but it also checks Mamoswine quite well, which this team otherwise can struggle against. It also offers Spikes support for the team, putting on more pressure that can help accelerate the team's gameplan. Phazing with Whirlwind can also be useful for keeping offensive threats in check and for racking up more hazard chip. However, without Taunt, it can falter against the aforementioned Scizor in a 1-on-1 scenario late-game, and its poor special bulk leaves it vulnerable to many special attackers and mixed lures like Fire Blast Garchomp. Having to forego Leftovers for Shed Shell also makes it prone to being worn down by hazards. That being said though, the traits it brings to the table appear to be at least worth considering.
I know what you're going to say: "Zapdos is unviable in BDSP!" No it isn't, I have a whole post about it. What is worth noting though is that it hasn't seen any usage on fat/stall teams, since it functions best with strong wallbreakers at its side. That being said, I do think there is some room for experimentation on bulkier teamstyles, and this team in particular could perhaps be a decent fit for it. What it would provide to the team is an extra Lucario check, a soft check to Scizor thanks to its typing and Static, another Staraptor check, a hard counter to Togekiss, which is extremely nice for a stall team to have, and a more aggressive answer to offensive Waters like Crawdaunt and Azumarill. The main thing Zapdos lacks is a way to make progress, as well as a Fairy-resistance, which is notable because now Azumarill can use Play Rough more freely against this team.
Skarmory checks a lot of the same physical threats that Heatran can answer, like Scizor, Weavile, and Staraptor, but it also checks Mamoswine quite well, which this team otherwise can struggle against. It also offers Spikes support for the team, putting on more pressure that can help accelerate the team's gameplan. Phazing with Whirlwind can also be useful for keeping offensive threats in check and for racking up more hazard chip. However, without Taunt, it can falter against the aforementioned Scizor in a 1-on-1 scenario late-game, and its poor special bulk leaves it vulnerable to many special attackers and mixed lures like Fire Blast Garchomp. Having to forego Leftovers for Shed Shell also makes it prone to being worn down by hazards. That being said though, the traits it brings to the table appear to be at least worth considering.
I know what you're going to say: "Zapdos is unviable in BDSP!" No it isn't, I have a whole post about it. What is worth noting though is that it hasn't seen any usage on fat/stall teams, since it functions best with strong wallbreakers at its side. That being said, I do think there is some room for experimentation on bulkier teamstyles, and this team in particular could perhaps be a decent fit for it. What it would provide to the team is an extra Lucario check, a soft check to Scizor thanks to its typing and Static, another Staraptor check, a hard counter to Togekiss, which is extremely nice for a stall team to have, and a more aggressive answer to offensive Waters like Crawdaunt and Azumarill. The main thing Zapdos lacks is a way to make progress, as well as a Fairy-resistance, which is notable because now Azumarill can use Play Rough more freely against this team.
Noteworthy Threats And How To Approach Them
Disclaimer: This section will only be discussing how to approach these threats with the initial team provided in the pokepaste, and will not be going over how any other options mentioned can affect these matchups.
These five are perhaps the biggest threats to this team, so I'll focus on them and leave a spoiler tab for other threats that the team isn't as afraid of.
One of the most infamous anti-stall Pokemon of all time, Crawdaunt still proves itself to be an issue for the playstyle in BDSP. Adaptability + Choice Band Knock Off and Crabhammer rip through defensive cores with ease, leaving little room to switch into it safely. Life Orb sets can also switch up moves while still having enough power to 2HKO neutral targets; these sets also opt to run Sludge Bomb to lure in and 2HKO Tangrowth, who is otherwise the most common answer to Crawdaunt on stall.
Despite the crustacean's crushing power, this team does have the tools to withstand its assault. For starters, itemless Tangrowth switches into Choice Band sets and prevents Crawdaunt from scoring free progress with Choice Band Knock Off. Tangrowth is still 2HKOed by Choice Band Crunch after Stealth Rock, but preventing it from forcing progress with Knock Off is more than enough, as Clefable can withstand Crunch well enough. Crawdaunt also cannot freely force Heatran out, as its Choice lock can be scouted with Protect, making it much easier to play around. Mixed Life Orb sets can forego these issues, but it still needs to predict properly against Tangrowth in order to threaten it, as once it reveals Life Orb, the Tangrowth user should be immediately aware of Sludge Bomb. Milotic is also able to stomach the Life Orb set, as although it must take a Knock Off and lose its Leftovers, it avoids the 2HKO afterwards, letting it spam Recover and force Crawdaunt to take Life Orb recoil if it attempts to break past it.
Heracross is by far this team's worst matchup and the one that it will have the most trouble trying to surmount, though this can be said for nearly every stall team in BDSP. Heracross's Guts-boosted STAB moves shred through the team's defenses with ease, OHKOing Tangrowth with Megahorn as well as Blissey and Heatran with Close Combat. Milotic manages to avoid the OHKO, but it can do little in return, as Scald doesn't do enough damage to truly threaten Heracross, and the burn is insignificant because it is already wielding a Flame Orb to activate Guts. Gliscor is in a similar boat, resisting its STABs, but it can falter to a Swords Dance-boosted Facade, which cleanly OHKOes it. It also cannot do much to Heracross either, as it resists Earthquake and Knock Off. Clefable is the team's only real answer to Heracross, as it resists Heracross's STABs and can threaten it with Moonblast, though it too is 2HKO by Facade, making switching in a risky move. Heracross is also often partnered with a Clefable of its own, providing it with Wish support to compensate for its limited longevity, making playing around it passively while waiting for it to die to chip damage an unviable solution.
The most that can be said for handling Heracross is to keep Clefable healthy and to try and keep it out as much as possible. Honestly, this is nearly an auto-loss matchup if its played decently at all.
Choice Scarf Infernape is a non-issue, but Choice Band and mixed sets are quite threatening to this team. Choice Band either OHKOes or 2HKOes the entire team with proper prediction, and can use a strong U-turn to pivot out of unfavourable matchups. Mixed sets don't need to predict as much, and can stay healthy thanks to Slack Off, making playing around it with recoil damage a much less viable option. Overheat, in particular, 2HKOes Gliscor and Clefable, the latter of which cannot take the follow-up because of Unaware ignoring the SpAtk drop. Blaze boosting its Fire STAB to absurd levels also makes it difficult to wall when at low health.
To handle Infernape, it is important to keep hazards up so that it will be accumulating chip damage over the course of the game. Gliscor is the team's main answer, since it can win against Infernape in most 1-on-1 situations, though it cannot safely switch into Infernape's Fire STAB. Milotic is another solid answer since it can take non-CB Close Combat rather well and OHKO it in return with Scald. Tangrowth and Clefable can take its non-Fire moves and force progress against it with either Knock Off, Sleep Powder, or Moonblast damage. Lastly, Heatran can scout Choice Band sets with Protect, and if it chooses to lock into Flare Blitz, Heatran an stay in without fear.
To start off, Focus Sash Alakazam is a complete non-threat. It cannot deal enough damage to actually threaten the team and can be easily neutralized by Blissey while it tries to accrue a boost. Unaware Clefable also completely stuffs it, avoiding the 2HKO from Psychic, and is even favoured to live two after Stealth Rock. Unboosted Psychic doesn't even OHKO Tangrowth after Stealth Rock.
Life Orb Alakazam, however, can prove to be an issue. Nasty Plot sets can run through the team if it finds the turn to get a boost, only being stopped by Blissey, who has a small chance to be OHKOed by +2 Focus Blast after Stealth Rock, and Clefable, who cannot switch into Psychic at all. 4 Attack sets that drop Nasty Plot for Psyshock can also bypass the need to get lucky with accuracy against Blissey, since it can 2HKO the blob with Psyshock on the switch after Stealth Rock. Magic Guard making Alakazam immune to passive damage from Stealth Rock and Scald burns also makes it impossible to play around passively, forcing you to confront it and its powerful attacks directly.
However, Nasty Plot Alakazam can have difficulty finding turns to set up safely, as it is very frail and vulnerable to Blissey's Thunder Wave. This also means it can rarely, if ever, switch in directly, leaving it reliant on double-switches, pivot support, and revenge killing in order to hit the field safely. Gliscor can tank an unboosted Psychic and OHKO Alakazam with Knock Off, though this should only be done if you believe it is safe to do so. Similarly, Tangrowth can survive unboosted Psychic when at full health and OHKO with Knock Off, with Regenerator helping heal off the damage bit by bit. Once again, this should only be done if it is safe to do so and Tangrowth isn't required to stay at high health in the near future. Unaware Clefable can't switch into Psychic, but it can set up against Alakazam in a 1-on-1 scenario and force it out. Blissey is also still favoured to survive a +2 Focus Blast after Stealth Rock, not to mention the issues of Focus Blast accuracy, meaning it can somewhat reliably cripple Alakazam with paralysis, making it much easier to deal with. 4 attack sets lack the ability to boost, meaning Gliscor can never be OHKO'd be Psychic, same can be said for full HP Tangrowth. They are also unable to break past Milotic reliably, as it takes 48% maximum from unboosted Psychic, though this does mean it has to use Recover often against it.
Mamoswine's impressive Attack stat and STAB combo shreds through defensive cores with ease. In this case, it forces out Heatran and Gliscor extremely reliably, with the usual switch-ins to one of its STABs being weak to the other. With proper prediction, Mamoswine is able to 2HKO the entire team. Life Orb variants are the main ones to look out for, since being able to switch up moves makes pivoting around it much more difficult. Choice Band sets are even more destructive, but are prediction-reliant and can be scouted with Protect. Never-Melt Ice Mamoswine can lack the power to 2HKO neutral targets like Clefable, but it doesn't have to contend with recoil, and it is simply one flinch away from breaking past it regardless.
The main way to beat Mamoswine is to try and pivot around it as best as you can. If you can get Milotic in safely against Mamoswine, it can win the 1v1 and force it out. In a pinch, Tangrowth can take any of Mamoswine's moves from full health and either Knock Off its item, put it to sleep, or simply try and KO it with Giga Drain. Clefable can try and stall out Mamoswine with WishTect, but it needs to be wary of Icicle Crash flinches.
SD + Rocks Garchomp can reliably keep hazards up against Gliscor, but it fears Knock Off and is hard walled by Clefable and Tangrowth. Life Orb sets with Swords Dance are immensely threatening, but once again, Clefable and Tangrowth can shut it down, though they need more careful play. ChainChomp sets can lure in Gliscor and Tangrowth, but falter immensely against Clefable, Milotic, and even Blissey. Since Garchomp is often used as a Heatran switch-in, Magma Storm + Protect on the switch wears it down quite a bit. Milotic can usually answer any non-boosted Garchomp, and can eliminate the boosts with Haze in an instant. Choice Scarf sets aren't an issue.
Putting pressure on Scizor with status, hazards, and Knock Off is your main way of beating it. Heatran hard counters it and can eliminate it in an instant if needed. For offensive variants, Heatran will be the main answer, as it outspeeds and eliminates Scizor with Magma Storm before it can be OHKOed by +2 Brick Break. If the Scizor is running Quick Attack instead of X-Scissor, Milotic and Tangrowth can check and neutralize Scizor with status.
Milotic and Gliscor are reliable into most Heatran sets, while our own Heatran counters any non-Earth Power variants. The main concern for this team would be non-Leftovers sets, as they indicate an offensive set that could potentially eliminate one of the team's Heatran answers. Power Herb sets can lure in Milotic and chunk it hard with Solar Beam, while Choice Specs Heatran eliminates Gliscor in an instant. Keeping hazards up to reveal whether or not Heatran is Leftovers helps a lot in gathering information.
Most of the team, bar Gliscor, can withstand Weavile in some way. Even Blissey can take a hit and punish it with Thunder Wave in a pinch, while Tangrowth can pivot in against its attacks to scout its Choice lock and even stay in when at high enough health to try and Knock Off its Choice Band. At the end of the day though, Milotic, Clefable, and Heatran will be the main answers to Weavile. The main thing to watch out for is Assurance, so be sure to keep hazards off of your side of the field.
Blissey is the team's immediate answer to Latias, as it can stomach Choiced variants with ease. Against Calm Mind Latias, you still would go to Blissey first, and then follow it up with a Thunder Wave. Afterwards, you use Seismic Toss until Latias gets into a range where it would like to use Recover, at that point, you swap to Clefable and setup your own Calm Mind to beat it. Miltoic can also Haze away the boosts from a paralyzed Latias if need be. Alternatively, you can go hard Clefable immediately against CM Latias, though this can backfire if they use Psychic on the switch with hazards up. Stored Power variants are rare and cheeky, but immediately shut down by CM Clefable and Haze Milotic.
Blissey stonewalls Starmie so hard the rest of the team doesn't need to be mentioned. Just make sure to keep it alive.
Tangrowth reliably pivots in against Washtom and can prevent it from making free progress with Trick. Nasty Plot sets can find themselves unable to break past Clefable and Blissey, while Tangrowth still proves to be an issues. Choice Specs sets can actually be somewhat of an issue, but they usually can't afford to Trick away their item against stall, lest they lose much of their breaking power.
This mon is a non-threat to be honest, but I'm mentioning it here anyways specifically because of how Gliscor is rather incapable of breaking past stall despite its infamous longevity. The only way Gliscor can reliably force progress against a stall team is with Knock Off, which isn't actually a good way to make progress when faced with Tangrowth and an opposing Gliscor, and Taunt, which is difficult to fit and still presents issues against Tangrowth and Gliscor. You would think that Swords Dance sets could be decent into stall, but no. Unaware Clefable shuts it down unbelievably hard, while Milotic can Haze away boosts. Tangrowth can, once again, pivot in against Gliscor and prevent those sets from making progress. The only way it can attempt to beat stall semi-reliably is through cheeky SD/Taunt/Facade/Roost sets that explicitly fish for stall and falter against every other playstyle, but this team can shut those down too with Heatran as well as aggressive play with Calm Mind Clefable and Milotic.
Tangrowth swaps into CB Azumarill extremely reliably, as it can take everything bar Play Rough, force it out, and heal off the damage with Regenerator. If Tangrowth swaps into Play Rough, go Heatran afterwards to take the follow-up move. Belly Drum sets can usually be determined off of team preview (they're mainly found on hyper offense teams), and can be reliably neutralized with Haze Milotic and Unaware Clefable.
Clefable hard walls Dragon Dance sets and can reliably check Choice Band variants too. Tangrowth can swap into CB Dragonite in order to scout its Choice lock as well as Knock Off its item or put it to sleep. Heatran can withstand non-Earthquake variants of DD Dnite and can scout CB sets with Protect. Stealth Rock is especially helpful to keep it from swapping in freely too much.
Keep Gliscor healthy at all costs. Not much more to say. In a pinch you can use Tangrowth to eat a +2 Close Combat and put it to sleep, or even have Clefable trade down with Lucario, since it can survive an Adamant Meteor Mash from full health, though this is only worth doing in an emergency.
Strong breaker, but it will only consistently be an issue when it finds its way in against Milotic. It can't force out Clefable reliably because it will just be scouted with Protect, letting Clefable swap to the ideal partner for the situation. Gliscor takes everything bar Flash Cannon well, Blissey stomachs everything easily but dislikes Volt Switch, and Heatran outspeeds and OHKOes it with Earth Power or Magma Storm.
Blissey walls non-Focus Punch variants while Milotic answers non-Thunderbolt sets. Some scouting will usually need to be done, so Milotic would be the preferred initial switch-in. If Blissey is in against a Nidoking that hasn't revealed Focus Punch yet, or already has but hasn't been able to land one on the switch, click Seismic Toss always so that it cannot get a free turn to use it directly in front of Blissey.
Haze Milotic is your main counterplay to Suicune, as SubTect can setup against a good chunk of the team and PP stall them for all their worth. Calm Mind Clefable can also work, but it needs to get every turn right in order to break past Suicune, or else it will be left with no Moonblasts left. Heatran can punish it switching in with Magma Storm + Taunt, but this isn't a particularly reliable way to beat Suicune. If you can score a Knock Off against it, amazing. RestTalk sets are rarer and complete fodder for Clefable.
You gotta be okay with gambling against Togekiss. Go Blissey immediately and try and paralyze it with Thunder Wave, this will make it much easier to withstand. If it has Substitute, try and break past it with Seismic Toss, or just go right into something else that can withstand it. Afterwards you can go to Heatran and wear it down with Magma Storm + Taunt, but be wary of Aura Sphere. Alternatively, Clefable can take on boosted Togekiss, wasting Air Slash PP with Protect, and setup alongside it with Calm Mind. In a pinch you could also try and Haze away boosts with Milotic. Choice Scarf sets are a non-issue.
Tangrowth is the primary answer because it answers all sets, hardwalling setup sets, pivoting into Choiced sets, being able to withstand SubPunch Breloom, and being immune to Spore as well as having Regenerator to play around it better. Clefable can answer setup and SubPunch sets, but it would prefer if something else has been put to sleep before being able to do so. Heatran can outspeed Adamant Breloom, but doesn't appreciate taking Mach Punch, especially after a boost, which OHKOes it.
Gliscor fears Choice Specs Scald but is otherwise a solid answer, Tangrowth can switch into Volt Switch and scout Specs Thunderbolt, Blissey eats everything but doesn't like getting pivoted on with hazards up, Heatran can trade health if needed, and Clefable can answer Calm Mind variants.
Milotic hard walls this and Heatran can blank Sacred Fire. Not much to say to be honest.
Between Haze Milotic, Tangrowth, and Unaware Clefable, Feraligatr shouldn't be doing much to the team unless you get choke immensely or get outplayed unbelievably hard. If you can remove its Life Orb with Knock Off it becomes a complete non-threat.
Blissey hard walls Choiced variants, while Milotic and Heatran can also take it on if needed. Nasty Plot sets are extremely uncommon but answered by Unaware Clefable, though if they try and run Taunt alongside it you call them a cteaming bastard and bludgeon them down with Moonblasts as fast as possible. Gliscor and Tangrowth can both take a Specs Shadow Ball or Hex from full health and hit Mismagius with Knock Off.
Getting rocks up and letting Staraptor die to that + recoil is a valid option for withstanding it. In order to actually take its attacks though you're going to want Heatran to switch into Brave Bird/Double Edge. Most of the team can also eat one hit and heal off the damage to accentuate Staraptor's longevity issues.
Go Tangrowth to scout what move its clicking and switch to the proper response accordingly, Clefable can switch into anything that isn't Stone Edge, while Gliscor is the preferred switch in to that move. Milotic can 1v1 Tyranitar and cripple it with Scald, and Heatran can scout what move it wishes to lock into with Protect as well as wear with down with Magma Storm and Earth Power.
Blissey hard carries the Kingdra matchup; against Focus Energy + Agility Critdra it is the only answer the team has, while Choice Specs rain Kingdra is also blanked by Blissey as well as Milotic. If you want more info about the rain matchup I have a post describing how they function and counterplay against them.
Haze Milotic and Calm Mind Clefable are your best answers to this fatass. Knock Off from Gliscor and Tangrowth removes its Leftovers, making it easier to wear down. Heatran can wear down non-Earthquake variants with Magma Storm + Taunt.
Replays: There are probably more but I just never bothered to save them/they weren't from tour games
BDSP Winter Seasonal 2024 Finals
BDSPPL III Week 1
BDSP Swiss
BDSP Swiss
RoA BDSP Spotlight Tour
BDSP Swiss (friend playing with the team)
BDSP Last Chance Qualifier III (friend playing with the team)
That's all folks.
Come play BDSP it's cool and fun.
I'm tired of talking to the void.
These five are perhaps the biggest threats to this team, so I'll focus on them and leave a spoiler tab for other threats that the team isn't as afraid of.
One of the most infamous anti-stall Pokemon of all time, Crawdaunt still proves itself to be an issue for the playstyle in BDSP. Adaptability + Choice Band Knock Off and Crabhammer rip through defensive cores with ease, leaving little room to switch into it safely. Life Orb sets can also switch up moves while still having enough power to 2HKO neutral targets; these sets also opt to run Sludge Bomb to lure in and 2HKO Tangrowth, who is otherwise the most common answer to Crawdaunt on stall.
Despite the crustacean's crushing power, this team does have the tools to withstand its assault. For starters, itemless Tangrowth switches into Choice Band sets and prevents Crawdaunt from scoring free progress with Choice Band Knock Off. Tangrowth is still 2HKOed by Choice Band Crunch after Stealth Rock, but preventing it from forcing progress with Knock Off is more than enough, as Clefable can withstand Crunch well enough. Crawdaunt also cannot freely force Heatran out, as its Choice lock can be scouted with Protect, making it much easier to play around. Mixed Life Orb sets can forego these issues, but it still needs to predict properly against Tangrowth in order to threaten it, as once it reveals Life Orb, the Tangrowth user should be immediately aware of Sludge Bomb. Milotic is also able to stomach the Life Orb set, as although it must take a Knock Off and lose its Leftovers, it avoids the 2HKO afterwards, letting it spam Recover and force Crawdaunt to take Life Orb recoil if it attempts to break past it.
Heracross is by far this team's worst matchup and the one that it will have the most trouble trying to surmount, though this can be said for nearly every stall team in BDSP. Heracross's Guts-boosted STAB moves shred through the team's defenses with ease, OHKOing Tangrowth with Megahorn as well as Blissey and Heatran with Close Combat. Milotic manages to avoid the OHKO, but it can do little in return, as Scald doesn't do enough damage to truly threaten Heracross, and the burn is insignificant because it is already wielding a Flame Orb to activate Guts. Gliscor is in a similar boat, resisting its STABs, but it can falter to a Swords Dance-boosted Facade, which cleanly OHKOes it. It also cannot do much to Heracross either, as it resists Earthquake and Knock Off. Clefable is the team's only real answer to Heracross, as it resists Heracross's STABs and can threaten it with Moonblast, though it too is 2HKO by Facade, making switching in a risky move. Heracross is also often partnered with a Clefable of its own, providing it with Wish support to compensate for its limited longevity, making playing around it passively while waiting for it to die to chip damage an unviable solution.
The most that can be said for handling Heracross is to keep Clefable healthy and to try and keep it out as much as possible. Honestly, this is nearly an auto-loss matchup if its played decently at all.
Choice Scarf Infernape is a non-issue, but Choice Band and mixed sets are quite threatening to this team. Choice Band either OHKOes or 2HKOes the entire team with proper prediction, and can use a strong U-turn to pivot out of unfavourable matchups. Mixed sets don't need to predict as much, and can stay healthy thanks to Slack Off, making playing around it with recoil damage a much less viable option. Overheat, in particular, 2HKOes Gliscor and Clefable, the latter of which cannot take the follow-up because of Unaware ignoring the SpAtk drop. Blaze boosting its Fire STAB to absurd levels also makes it difficult to wall when at low health.
To handle Infernape, it is important to keep hazards up so that it will be accumulating chip damage over the course of the game. Gliscor is the team's main answer, since it can win against Infernape in most 1-on-1 situations, though it cannot safely switch into Infernape's Fire STAB. Milotic is another solid answer since it can take non-CB Close Combat rather well and OHKO it in return with Scald. Tangrowth and Clefable can take its non-Fire moves and force progress against it with either Knock Off, Sleep Powder, or Moonblast damage. Lastly, Heatran can scout Choice Band sets with Protect, and if it chooses to lock into Flare Blitz, Heatran an stay in without fear.
To start off, Focus Sash Alakazam is a complete non-threat. It cannot deal enough damage to actually threaten the team and can be easily neutralized by Blissey while it tries to accrue a boost. Unaware Clefable also completely stuffs it, avoiding the 2HKO from Psychic, and is even favoured to live two after Stealth Rock. Unboosted Psychic doesn't even OHKO Tangrowth after Stealth Rock.
Life Orb Alakazam, however, can prove to be an issue. Nasty Plot sets can run through the team if it finds the turn to get a boost, only being stopped by Blissey, who has a small chance to be OHKOed by +2 Focus Blast after Stealth Rock, and Clefable, who cannot switch into Psychic at all. 4 Attack sets that drop Nasty Plot for Psyshock can also bypass the need to get lucky with accuracy against Blissey, since it can 2HKO the blob with Psyshock on the switch after Stealth Rock. Magic Guard making Alakazam immune to passive damage from Stealth Rock and Scald burns also makes it impossible to play around passively, forcing you to confront it and its powerful attacks directly.
However, Nasty Plot Alakazam can have difficulty finding turns to set up safely, as it is very frail and vulnerable to Blissey's Thunder Wave. This also means it can rarely, if ever, switch in directly, leaving it reliant on double-switches, pivot support, and revenge killing in order to hit the field safely. Gliscor can tank an unboosted Psychic and OHKO Alakazam with Knock Off, though this should only be done if you believe it is safe to do so. Similarly, Tangrowth can survive unboosted Psychic when at full health and OHKO with Knock Off, with Regenerator helping heal off the damage bit by bit. Once again, this should only be done if it is safe to do so and Tangrowth isn't required to stay at high health in the near future. Unaware Clefable can't switch into Psychic, but it can set up against Alakazam in a 1-on-1 scenario and force it out. Blissey is also still favoured to survive a +2 Focus Blast after Stealth Rock, not to mention the issues of Focus Blast accuracy, meaning it can somewhat reliably cripple Alakazam with paralysis, making it much easier to deal with. 4 attack sets lack the ability to boost, meaning Gliscor can never be OHKO'd be Psychic, same can be said for full HP Tangrowth. They are also unable to break past Milotic reliably, as it takes 48% maximum from unboosted Psychic, though this does mean it has to use Recover often against it.
Mamoswine's impressive Attack stat and STAB combo shreds through defensive cores with ease. In this case, it forces out Heatran and Gliscor extremely reliably, with the usual switch-ins to one of its STABs being weak to the other. With proper prediction, Mamoswine is able to 2HKO the entire team. Life Orb variants are the main ones to look out for, since being able to switch up moves makes pivoting around it much more difficult. Choice Band sets are even more destructive, but are prediction-reliant and can be scouted with Protect. Never-Melt Ice Mamoswine can lack the power to 2HKO neutral targets like Clefable, but it doesn't have to contend with recoil, and it is simply one flinch away from breaking past it regardless.
The main way to beat Mamoswine is to try and pivot around it as best as you can. If you can get Milotic in safely against Mamoswine, it can win the 1v1 and force it out. In a pinch, Tangrowth can take any of Mamoswine's moves from full health and either Knock Off its item, put it to sleep, or simply try and KO it with Giga Drain. Clefable can try and stall out Mamoswine with WishTect, but it needs to be wary of Icicle Crash flinches.
SD + Rocks Garchomp can reliably keep hazards up against Gliscor, but it fears Knock Off and is hard walled by Clefable and Tangrowth. Life Orb sets with Swords Dance are immensely threatening, but once again, Clefable and Tangrowth can shut it down, though they need more careful play. ChainChomp sets can lure in Gliscor and Tangrowth, but falter immensely against Clefable, Milotic, and even Blissey. Since Garchomp is often used as a Heatran switch-in, Magma Storm + Protect on the switch wears it down quite a bit. Milotic can usually answer any non-boosted Garchomp, and can eliminate the boosts with Haze in an instant. Choice Scarf sets aren't an issue.Putting pressure on Scizor with status, hazards, and Knock Off is your main way of beating it. Heatran hard counters it and can eliminate it in an instant if needed. For offensive variants, Heatran will be the main answer, as it outspeeds and eliminates Scizor with Magma Storm before it can be OHKOed by +2 Brick Break. If the Scizor is running Quick Attack instead of X-Scissor, Milotic and Tangrowth can check and neutralize Scizor with status. Milotic and Gliscor are reliable into most Heatran sets, while our own Heatran counters any non-Earth Power variants. The main concern for this team would be non-Leftovers sets, as they indicate an offensive set that could potentially eliminate one of the team's Heatran answers. Power Herb sets can lure in Milotic and chunk it hard with Solar Beam, while Choice Specs Heatran eliminates Gliscor in an instant. Keeping hazards up to reveal whether or not Heatran is Leftovers helps a lot in gathering information.Most of the team, bar Gliscor, can withstand Weavile in some way. Even Blissey can take a hit and punish it with Thunder Wave in a pinch, while Tangrowth can pivot in against its attacks to scout its Choice lock and even stay in when at high enough health to try and Knock Off its Choice Band. At the end of the day though, Milotic, Clefable, and Heatran will be the main answers to Weavile. The main thing to watch out for is Assurance, so be sure to keep hazards off of your side of the field.Blissey is the team's immediate answer to Latias, as it can stomach Choiced variants with ease. Against Calm Mind Latias, you still would go to Blissey first, and then follow it up with a Thunder Wave. Afterwards, you use Seismic Toss until Latias gets into a range where it would like to use Recover, at that point, you swap to Clefable and setup your own Calm Mind to beat it. Miltoic can also Haze away the boosts from a paralyzed Latias if need be. Alternatively, you can go hard Clefable immediately against CM Latias, though this can backfire if they use Psychic on the switch with hazards up. Stored Power variants are rare and cheeky, but immediately shut down by CM Clefable and Haze Milotic.Blissey stonewalls Starmie so hard the rest of the team doesn't need to be mentioned. Just make sure to keep it alive. Tangrowth reliably pivots in against Washtom and can prevent it from making free progress with Trick. Nasty Plot sets can find themselves unable to break past Clefable and Blissey, while Tangrowth still proves to be an issues. Choice Specs sets can actually be somewhat of an issue, but they usually can't afford to Trick away their item against stall, lest they lose much of their breaking power.This mon is a non-threat to be honest, but I'm mentioning it here anyways specifically because of how Gliscor is rather incapable of breaking past stall despite its infamous longevity. The only way Gliscor can reliably force progress against a stall team is with Knock Off, which isn't actually a good way to make progress when faced with Tangrowth and an opposing Gliscor, and Taunt, which is difficult to fit and still presents issues against Tangrowth and Gliscor. You would think that Swords Dance sets could be decent into stall, but no. Unaware Clefable shuts it down unbelievably hard, while Milotic can Haze away boosts. Tangrowth can, once again, pivot in against Gliscor and prevent those sets from making progress. The only way it can attempt to beat stall semi-reliably is through cheeky SD/Taunt/Facade/Roost sets that explicitly fish for stall and falter against every other playstyle, but this team can shut those down too with Heatran as well as aggressive play with Calm Mind Clefable and Milotic.Tangrowth swaps into CB Azumarill extremely reliably, as it can take everything bar Play Rough, force it out, and heal off the damage with Regenerator. If Tangrowth swaps into Play Rough, go Heatran afterwards to take the follow-up move. Belly Drum sets can usually be determined off of team preview (they're mainly found on hyper offense teams), and can be reliably neutralized with Haze Milotic and Unaware Clefable.Clefable hard walls Dragon Dance sets and can reliably check Choice Band variants too. Tangrowth can swap into CB Dragonite in order to scout its Choice lock as well as Knock Off its item or put it to sleep. Heatran can withstand non-Earthquake variants of DD Dnite and can scout CB sets with Protect. Stealth Rock is especially helpful to keep it from swapping in freely too much.Keep Gliscor healthy at all costs. Not much more to say. In a pinch you can use Tangrowth to eat a +2 Close Combat and put it to sleep, or even have Clefable trade down with Lucario, since it can survive an Adamant Meteor Mash from full health, though this is only worth doing in an emergency.Strong breaker, but it will only consistently be an issue when it finds its way in against Milotic. It can't force out Clefable reliably because it will just be scouted with Protect, letting Clefable swap to the ideal partner for the situation. Gliscor takes everything bar Flash Cannon well, Blissey stomachs everything easily but dislikes Volt Switch, and Heatran outspeeds and OHKOes it with Earth Power or Magma Storm. Blissey walls non-Focus Punch variants while Milotic answers non-Thunderbolt sets. Some scouting will usually need to be done, so Milotic would be the preferred initial switch-in. If Blissey is in against a Nidoking that hasn't revealed Focus Punch yet, or already has but hasn't been able to land one on the switch, click Seismic Toss always so that it cannot get a free turn to use it directly in front of Blissey.Haze Milotic is your main counterplay to Suicune, as SubTect can setup against a good chunk of the team and PP stall them for all their worth. Calm Mind Clefable can also work, but it needs to get every turn right in order to break past Suicune, or else it will be left with no Moonblasts left. Heatran can punish it switching in with Magma Storm + Taunt, but this isn't a particularly reliable way to beat Suicune. If you can score a Knock Off against it, amazing. RestTalk sets are rarer and complete fodder for Clefable. You gotta be okay with gambling against Togekiss. Go Blissey immediately and try and paralyze it with Thunder Wave, this will make it much easier to withstand. If it has Substitute, try and break past it with Seismic Toss, or just go right into something else that can withstand it. Afterwards you can go to Heatran and wear it down with Magma Storm + Taunt, but be wary of Aura Sphere. Alternatively, Clefable can take on boosted Togekiss, wasting Air Slash PP with Protect, and setup alongside it with Calm Mind. In a pinch you could also try and Haze away boosts with Milotic. Choice Scarf sets are a non-issue.Tangrowth is the primary answer because it answers all sets, hardwalling setup sets, pivoting into Choiced sets, being able to withstand SubPunch Breloom, and being immune to Spore as well as having Regenerator to play around it better. Clefable can answer setup and SubPunch sets, but it would prefer if something else has been put to sleep before being able to do so. Heatran can outspeed Adamant Breloom, but doesn't appreciate taking Mach Punch, especially after a boost, which OHKOes it.Gliscor fears Choice Specs Scald but is otherwise a solid answer, Tangrowth can switch into Volt Switch and scout Specs Thunderbolt, Blissey eats everything but doesn't like getting pivoted on with hazards up, Heatran can trade health if needed, and Clefable can answer Calm Mind variants.Milotic hard walls this and Heatran can blank Sacred Fire. Not much to say to be honest.Between Haze Milotic, Tangrowth, and Unaware Clefable, Feraligatr shouldn't be doing much to the team unless you get choke immensely or get outplayed unbelievably hard. If you can remove its Life Orb with Knock Off it becomes a complete non-threat.Blissey hard walls Choiced variants, while Milotic and Heatran can also take it on if needed. Nasty Plot sets are extremely uncommon but answered by Unaware Clefable, though if they try and run Taunt alongside it you call them a cteaming bastard and bludgeon them down with Moonblasts as fast as possible. Gliscor and Tangrowth can both take a Specs Shadow Ball or Hex from full health and hit Mismagius with Knock Off.Getting rocks up and letting Staraptor die to that + recoil is a valid option for withstanding it. In order to actually take its attacks though you're going to want Heatran to switch into Brave Bird/Double Edge. Most of the team can also eat one hit and heal off the damage to accentuate Staraptor's longevity issues.Go Tangrowth to scout what move its clicking and switch to the proper response accordingly, Clefable can switch into anything that isn't Stone Edge, while Gliscor is the preferred switch in to that move. Milotic can 1v1 Tyranitar and cripple it with Scald, and Heatran can scout what move it wishes to lock into with Protect as well as wear with down with Magma Storm and Earth Power.Blissey hard carries the Kingdra matchup; against Focus Energy + Agility Critdra it is the only answer the team has, while Choice Specs rain Kingdra is also blanked by Blissey as well as Milotic. If you want more info about the rain matchup I have a post describing how they function and counterplay against them.Haze Milotic and Calm Mind Clefable are your best answers to this fatass. Knock Off from Gliscor and Tangrowth removes its Leftovers, making it easier to wear down. Heatran can wear down non-Earthquake variants with Magma Storm + Taunt.Replays: There are probably more but I just never bothered to save them/they weren't from tour games
BDSP Winter Seasonal 2024 Finals BDSPPL III Week 1 BDSP Swiss BDSP Swiss RoA BDSP Spotlight Tour BDSP Swiss (friend playing with the team) BDSP Last Chance Qualifier III (friend playing with the team)That's all folks.
Come play BDSP it's cool and fun.
I'm tired of talking to the void.
Last edited: