What’s up, L’agents? It’s Tetrafolium, aka Agency Pyramids.
You may already know me for my micro-celebrity-status YouTube channel, but if you don't, no matter. I started playing ADV in late 2024 and making videos about the tier in mid 2025. I have also been fairly active in the tournament circuit. Though, I have been taking a bit of a break from tournaments to refine my rolodex of teams. That is plenty of preamble about me, though. Let’s get to the team.
The original idea that I had with this team was to accommodate Curse / Rest Swampert since I was in the mood to play with it. Despite generally being considered a top five Pokemon in the metagame, I tend to lean towards other Water-types like Suicune, Milotic, Starmie, and Vaporeon and my ol’ reliable Claydol when I build. These Pokemon often (but not always) make it difficult to slot Swampert in since they share many common weaknesses (i.e. Celebi, Zapdos), so I don't get to play with Swampert as much as I ought to. Curse / Rest scratches the itch of the closeted GSC player in me. I think it also does a really good job of going 2+-for-1 against the popular physical offense teams in the meta (e.g. DD Tar + Aero, DD Mence + Meta, and other permutations of these squads). Unfortunately, Curse + Rest eat up too many move slots to allow for the use of Swampert’s amazing trio of Hydro Pump / Ice Beam / Earthquake coverage. Considering that I want Swampert to be able to hit Salamence, this means that Hydro Pump will have to be dropped. This presents some issues when it comes to dealing with Skarmory, who otherwise abuses Swampert for free Spikes, Toxic, and Roar turns. I will need a gameplan to avoid an auto-loss to the #2 (or #1 if you’re based) Pokemon in the tier.
To borrow an idea from physicist Ernst Mach, “[Pokemon teambuilders] must use the simplest means of arriving at their results and exclude everything not [solid into common metagame staples].” Is there a simpler counter to Skarmory than Magneton? Some might explore other options like Thief with a Rapid Spinner or Knock Off with a Rapid Spinner, but this can get very complicated if your opponent is not cooperative to those gameplans. Hence, I think the simple approach is the best in this case.
To spare the gory details of why all the other members of the team are here before their own sections, I had a few different drafts of this six. Originally, I thought about options like Choice Band Flygon to work in tandem with Swampert as a Zapdos check—since Zapdos is incapable of beating both due to Hidden Power limitations. I also thought about Snorlax, but I tend not to like Snorlax on sand teams. Though, if I did try it, I would probably use the Curse + 3 Atks set. I landed on this version before I decided to start laddering with it. I made some changes throughout the run, so be advised that some of the hyperlinked replays may contain slightly different move sets or EVs.
Wish You Were Here (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 240 HP / 60 Atk / 136 Def / 72 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Curse
- Rest
Crapbo, as is the canonical name for Offensive Swampert lead, is realistically the only lead that I would consider for this six. Usually, the idea is to have a solid Zapdos switch-in (like Celebi) and throw out big Hydro Pumps into most of the other common leads. Since we do not have a Water-move to click into what is often a switch Skarmory (although not as often as it should be on ladder), I am almost always switching out, especially against Tyranitar. Opposing Tyranitar should only stay in if it has Hidden Power Grass anyway. I tend to switch Magneton to catch opposing Skarmory, but even if it is not a Skarmory switch, the matchup is usually playable. Of the common leads, Metagross is the one that I can’t quite figure out. Sometimes I have stayed in and it worked and sometimes I have switched out and it worked. Personally, I would not rip an Explosion against lead Swampert, but some players do, and it becomes a matter of matchup should we lose the Swampert in that interaction. Overall, I really appreciate Swampert’s ability to stop lead Tyranitar from clicking Dragon Dance, and it has plenty of opportunities to come back in as a win condition or defensive piece later in the game.
Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 232 HP / 8 Atk / 8 Def / 244 SpA / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Ice Beam
- Focus Punch
Tyranitar sets the sand. I mean, what more is there to say? This puts many of the difficult-to-break Pokemon such as Zapdos, Blissey, and opposing Celebi on a timer. I also appreciate the ability to trap and remove Gengar—especially offensive Hidden Power Grass variants for Swampert. The defensive utility of Tyranitar cannot be understated. Sometimes, we may need it to be the Zapdos switch-in in matchups where Celebi has been compromised or where Celebi cannot establish much of an offensive foothold. Ice Beam is particularly helpful in this regard. We can even trade into Salamence to alleviate some of the pressure from Swampert. Rather than the typical Fire coverage, I opt for Focus Punch to leave Blissey in checkmate situations. In theory, Focus Punch would also punish Rest Snorlax, but in practice I did not find myself playing against many Rest Snorlax—or at least not many that managed to get going. I did used to have Fire Blast on an earlier version of this team, but Magneton should be trapping the Skarmory, and the two Water-types should be containing Metagross.
Magneton @ Leftovers
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 176 HP / 140 SpA / 192 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Toxic
- Protect
Magneton is the safety valve that removes Skamory to allow for slightly greedier sets, like no-Water-move Swampert, no-Fire-move Tyranitar, and no-Fire-move Celebi. I shouldn’t have to post examples of Magneton trapping and removing Skarmory, but I should note that Magneton is often my switch-in for lead Tyranitar in order to try to catch Skarmory early. Moreover, I want to note that the combination of Toxic, Protect, and some HP investment allows for Magneton to squeeze extra value vs passive Pokemon such as Blissey (and occasionally Seismic Toss Registeel). Though, I like using it as a Choice Band Metagross punish (i.e. Explosion sack). Other Choice Band users such as Aerodactyl can find it difficult to click into Protect Magneton as well since their lock-in is easily scouted. Resist the urge to sacrifice the Magneton immediately after a Skarmory trap because it can sometimes be randomly helpful throughout the mid-game.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
This Starmie seems like a hybrid between its two common sets. The moves give Defensive while the EVs give Offensive. You might be asking where the Thunderbolt is. I contend that the most important Pokemon that are worth hitting with Thunderbolt is Skarmory, who we should be trapping with Magneton. It is nice to have a tool to force Water-types such as Suicune and Milotic into Rest or Recover looping, but I find that it is not super necessary with Leech Seed Celebi in the back. It would in theory be nice to hit opposing Starmie, but this is a sacrifice that I am willing to make to keep Starmie’s longevity with Recover. In fact, the combination of Recover and 361 Speed allows us to beat Endeavor Swampert quite well. We can always outspeed and revenge kill. We have Natural Cure to mitigate Toxic. We can also fairly reliably Recover loop while Swampert is at greater than 1 HP.
Salamence @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 80 HP / 192 Atk / 92 SpD / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Brick Break
- Rock Slide
Dragon Dance Salamence is the quintessential win condition for offense in ADV nowadays. You may be familiar with the Mix Offense archetype Slop (Slop Guide). On that team, Salamence leverages its high base Atk and solid coverage to break holes through the opponent’s defensive pieces in the mid-game while also having the ability to leverage its superb Speed after a boost to sweep teams in the late-game. For our team, the same ideas remain true. However, unlike Slop, who breaks Skarmory via every member having strong trading tools, we will use Magneton to remove Skamory to unlock Salamence’s path to victory. Also unlike Slop, we do not have a specific gameplan to trade into physical walls. Instead, Salamence should be used to soften up the opponent if it comes in before the physical walls have been dealt with and then used as a late-game sweeper once the walls have been broken. I opt for Hidden Power Flying / Rock Slide / Brick Break coverage to handle Celebi, Zapdos, Aerodactyl, Gyarados, Tyranitar, and Blissey specifically. The lack of Earthquake does make Metagross and Jirachi a bit harder to deal with, but the combination of Leech Seed Celebi, Starmie, Magneton, and Swampert is often good enough to make those matchups playable. Also, Intimidate is a really good ability that can seal some otherwise dicey late-games.
Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 240 HP / 112 SpA / 156 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Leech Seed
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Psychic
- Recover
A special wall, particularly one that handles Zapdos, is necessary for this team to function. Celebi seems to be the Pokemon that best fits the bill. Switching into lead Zapdos with Celebi is a quintessential Crapbo line, but being able to stave off Suicune with Leech Seed and Hidden Power Grass is also very good. Leech Seed is also borderline necessary for the Blissey matchup since we would otherwise be relying almost entirely on Swampert or Magneton’s Toxic to force out the Blissey or for +1 Salamence to trade into it. Originally, I had Calm Mind in place of Leech Seed, but over time, I realized that Leech Seed was necessary for forcing progress into sturdy special attackers such as Blissey, Suicune, and Zapdos, especially in late-game situations.
Difficult Matchups
While I stand by this team’s fairly cohesive matchup spread, I have to acknowledge that some teams and lines are difficult to deal with. I will briefly mention and explain some problem matchups below.
Boom Spam + Win Condition that is checked by Swampert.
Swampert is frequently tasked with switching into physical attackers, especially Metagross. If Metagross lands its Explosion on Swampert, then you have to identify in very short order whether you need to gameplan to stop Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Dragon Dance Salamence, or Choice Band Aerodactyl from steamrolling the team. Smartly pivoting between Salamence and the less-necessary Pokemon for the matchup (oftentimes Magneton) can allow for some room for error, but it is very easy to bleed out of resources before neutralizing the opponent’s physical threats if Swampert is handled.
While this is not exactly what happened in this game, taking a Metagross Boom on Starmie basically sealed fate in the late-game.
Ice Beam Suicune.
Ice Beam Suicune is not an immediate loss for this team, but the options for dealing with it are somewhat constrained. Celebi may be tasked with switching into Suicune as it uses Calm Mind, and Celebi will have to hit its 90% accurate Leech Seed to slow down Suicune’s progress. If Celebi misses or gets frozen or gets critically hit, it can be quite difficult to stop Suicune from getting too much value in the mid-game.
Offensive Celebi.
In general, the best tool that we have to KO opposing Celebi is Salamence’s Hidden Power Flying. However, it can get awkward to find a position for Salamence to safely enter vs Celebi. While we have the bulk to survive an unboosted Hidden Power Ice, Salamence does not want to eat +1 Psychic (or of course Hidden Power Ice) without dealing significant damage back. Defensive variants of Celebi are also somewhat difficult to KO, but our own Celebi can stall PP and eventually find a safe switch to Salamence to threaten big damage. Sometimes it may be worth slamming a Crunch from Tyranitar or Ice Beam from Starmie if you think the opponent is not going to Giga Drain regardless of the Celebi set. If you let a fast Celebi get to +2, that is usually a loss for this team.
Overall, I am extremely happy with how this team has performed. It was very satisfying to get my first ever 1800 and top 1 on ladder with a team that I built myself. I can’t wait to make a video about this! Also, if blunder sees this, Agency Agency.
Video Link:
You may already know me for my micro-celebrity-status YouTube channel, but if you don't, no matter. I started playing ADV in late 2024 and making videos about the tier in mid 2025. I have also been fairly active in the tournament circuit. Though, I have been taking a bit of a break from tournaments to refine my rolodex of teams. That is plenty of preamble about me, though. Let’s get to the team.
The original idea that I had with this team was to accommodate Curse / Rest Swampert since I was in the mood to play with it. Despite generally being considered a top five Pokemon in the metagame, I tend to lean towards other Water-types like Suicune, Milotic, Starmie, and Vaporeon and my ol’ reliable Claydol when I build. These Pokemon often (but not always) make it difficult to slot Swampert in since they share many common weaknesses (i.e. Celebi, Zapdos), so I don't get to play with Swampert as much as I ought to. Curse / Rest scratches the itch of the closeted GSC player in me. I think it also does a really good job of going 2+-for-1 against the popular physical offense teams in the meta (e.g. DD Tar + Aero, DD Mence + Meta, and other permutations of these squads). Unfortunately, Curse + Rest eat up too many move slots to allow for the use of Swampert’s amazing trio of Hydro Pump / Ice Beam / Earthquake coverage. Considering that I want Swampert to be able to hit Salamence, this means that Hydro Pump will have to be dropped. This presents some issues when it comes to dealing with Skarmory, who otherwise abuses Swampert for free Spikes, Toxic, and Roar turns. I will need a gameplan to avoid an auto-loss to the #2 (or #1 if you’re based) Pokemon in the tier.
To borrow an idea from physicist Ernst Mach, “[Pokemon teambuilders] must use the simplest means of arriving at their results and exclude everything not [solid into common metagame staples].” Is there a simpler counter to Skarmory than Magneton? Some might explore other options like Thief with a Rapid Spinner or Knock Off with a Rapid Spinner, but this can get very complicated if your opponent is not cooperative to those gameplans. Hence, I think the simple approach is the best in this case.
To spare the gory details of why all the other members of the team are here before their own sections, I had a few different drafts of this six. Originally, I thought about options like Choice Band Flygon to work in tandem with Swampert as a Zapdos check—since Zapdos is incapable of beating both due to Hidden Power limitations. I also thought about Snorlax, but I tend not to like Snorlax on sand teams. Though, if I did try it, I would probably use the Curse + 3 Atks set. I landed on this version before I decided to start laddering with it. I made some changes throughout the run, so be advised that some of the hyperlinked replays may contain slightly different move sets or EVs.
Wish You Were Here (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 240 HP / 60 Atk / 136 Def / 72 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Curse
- Rest
Crapbo, as is the canonical name for Offensive Swampert lead, is realistically the only lead that I would consider for this six. Usually, the idea is to have a solid Zapdos switch-in (like Celebi) and throw out big Hydro Pumps into most of the other common leads. Since we do not have a Water-move to click into what is often a switch Skarmory (although not as often as it should be on ladder), I am almost always switching out, especially against Tyranitar. Opposing Tyranitar should only stay in if it has Hidden Power Grass anyway. I tend to switch Magneton to catch opposing Skarmory, but even if it is not a Skarmory switch, the matchup is usually playable. Of the common leads, Metagross is the one that I can’t quite figure out. Sometimes I have stayed in and it worked and sometimes I have switched out and it worked. Personally, I would not rip an Explosion against lead Swampert, but some players do, and it becomes a matter of matchup should we lose the Swampert in that interaction. Overall, I really appreciate Swampert’s ability to stop lead Tyranitar from clicking Dragon Dance, and it has plenty of opportunities to come back in as a win condition or defensive piece later in the game.
The Atk investment gives us a quick-and-easy benchmark for removing bulkless Tyranitar variants.
The SpD is to help with Rest looping Milotic, who has very low odds to beat Swampert 1-on-1 even with a critical hit. We also survive a Modest Hidden Power Grass from Zapdos (or Moltres) in case we need to fire off an Ice Beam in a pinch as well as two unboosted Hydro Pumps from Suicune and two 0- SpA Hidden Power Grasses from Tyranitar.
The leftover EVs are placed in Defense to keep Swampert sturdy into the likes of Tyranitar, Metagross, Aerodactyl, and Salamence. This happens to hit the 275 jump point, but that is just a happy coincidence. Note that Swampert is not guaranteed to OHKO -SpD nature Salamence with Ice Beam unless sand is up. If you are willing to trade that damage, try to establish sand before going for it to increase your consistency.
- +1 60 Atk Swampert Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 343-404 (100.5 - 118.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The SpD is to help with Rest looping Milotic, who has very low odds to beat Swampert 1-on-1 even with a critical hit. We also survive a Modest Hidden Power Grass from Zapdos (or Moltres) in case we need to fire off an Ice Beam in a pinch as well as two unboosted Hydro Pumps from Suicune and two 0- SpA Hidden Power Grasses from Tyranitar.
- 4 SpA Milotic Surf vs. 240 HP / 72 SpD Swampert: 103-122 (25.6 - 30.4%) -- 0.9% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 252+ SpA 30 IVs Zapdos Hidden Power Grass vs. 240 HP / 72 SpD Swampert: 329-388 (82 - 96.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 252+ SpA Suicune Hydro Pump vs. 240 HP / 72 SpD Swampert: 168-198 (41.8 - 49.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 0- SpA 30 IVs Tyranitar Hidden Power Grass vs. 240 HP / 72 SpD Swampert: 176-208 (43.8 - 51.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
The leftover EVs are placed in Defense to keep Swampert sturdy into the likes of Tyranitar, Metagross, Aerodactyl, and Salamence. This happens to hit the 275 jump point, but that is just a happy coincidence. Note that Swampert is not guaranteed to OHKO -SpD nature Salamence with Ice Beam unless sand is up. If you are willing to trade that damage, try to establish sand before going for it to increase your consistency.
Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 232 HP / 8 Atk / 8 Def / 244 SpA / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Ice Beam
- Focus Punch
Tyranitar sets the sand. I mean, what more is there to say? This puts many of the difficult-to-break Pokemon such as Zapdos, Blissey, and opposing Celebi on a timer. I also appreciate the ability to trap and remove Gengar—especially offensive Hidden Power Grass variants for Swampert. The defensive utility of Tyranitar cannot be understated. Sometimes, we may need it to be the Zapdos switch-in in matchups where Celebi has been compromised or where Celebi cannot establish much of an offensive foothold. Ice Beam is particularly helpful in this regard. We can even trade into Salamence to alleviate some of the pressure from Swampert. Rather than the typical Fire coverage, I opt for Focus Punch to leave Blissey in checkmate situations. In theory, Focus Punch would also punish Rest Snorlax, but in practice I did not find myself playing against many Rest Snorlax—or at least not many that managed to get going. I did used to have Fire Blast on an earlier version of this team, but Magneton should be trapping the Skarmory, and the two Water-types should be containing Metagross.
The defensive investment is to optimize OHKO thresholds from common Tyranitar opponents.
The SpA investment is no worse off for rolls into Rest Zapdos than maximum investment.
The leftover EVs are placed in Speed to creep opposing Tyranitar and Swampert.
- 252+ Atk Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 232 HP / 8 Def Tyranitar: 338-398 (84.7 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 252+ SpA Suicune Hydro Pump vs. 232 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar: 336-396 (84.2 - 99.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
The SpA investment is no worse off for rolls into Rest Zapdos than maximum investment.
- 244+ SpA Tyranitar Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Zapdos: 142-168 (36.9 - 43.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after sandstorm damage and Leftovers recovery, (same damage roll as 252+ SpA)
- 8- Atk Tyranitar Focus Punch vs. +2 144 HP / 132 Def Snorlax: 151-178 (30.3 - 35.8%) -- 40% chance to 3HKO after sandstorm damage and Leftovers recovery, (26.1% with no EVs)
The leftover EVs are placed in Speed to creep opposing Tyranitar and Swampert.
Magneton @ Leftovers
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 176 HP / 140 SpA / 192 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Toxic
- Protect
Magneton is the safety valve that removes Skamory to allow for slightly greedier sets, like no-Water-move Swampert, no-Fire-move Tyranitar, and no-Fire-move Celebi. I shouldn’t have to post examples of Magneton trapping and removing Skarmory, but I should note that Magneton is often my switch-in for lead Tyranitar in order to try to catch Skarmory early. Moreover, I want to note that the combination of Toxic, Protect, and some HP investment allows for Magneton to squeeze extra value vs passive Pokemon such as Blissey (and occasionally Seismic Toss Registeel). Though, I like using it as a Choice Band Metagross punish (i.e. Explosion sack). Other Choice Band users such as Aerodactyl can find it difficult to click into Protect Magneton as well since their lock-in is easily scouted. Resist the urge to sacrifice the Magneton immediately after a Skarmory trap because it can sometimes be randomly helpful throughout the mid-game.
With at least 269 HP (112 EVs) and Leftovers, Magneton is able to survive three Seismic Tosses. This is extremely useful in the Blissey matchup since it gives Magneton a little more wiggle room to try to predict the switch-out instead of being forced to Protect. Admittedly, the extra HP beyond this is mostly leftover since the other benchmarks that I wanted were already achieved. More SpA could be allocated depending on your tastes. Although, Magneton can sometimes cheese through its would-be “counters” with this investment.
The SpA investment hits a “jump point”, meaning that the last 4 EVs invested result in 2 additional stat points. This particular investment is relatively strong for abusing a sleeping Suicune and lower SpD invested Skarmory.
The Speed allows Magneton to outspeed Adamant Tyranitar by 2 points. This can occasionally be helpful in the Tyranitar matchup, but it is more so to creep the Water-types who might try to outspeed Tyranitar by 1 point like Suicune and Vaporeon.
- 252+ Atk Skarmory Hidden Power Ground vs. 176 HP / 0 Def Magneton: 255-300 (89.4 - 105.2%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
- 0 Atk 30 IVs Forretress Earthquake vs. 176 HP / 0 Def Magneton: 275-324 (96.4 - 113.6%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
- 252+ SpA 30 IVs Magneton Hidden Power Fire vs. 176 HP / 0 SpD Magneton: 212-250 (74.3 - 87.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
- 252+ SpA Suicune Hydro Pump vs. 176 HP / 0 SpD Magneton: 225-265 (78.9 - 92.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (which 112 HP can survive as well)
The SpA investment hits a “jump point”, meaning that the last 4 EVs invested result in 2 additional stat points. This particular investment is relatively strong for abusing a sleeping Suicune and lower SpD invested Skarmory.
- 140+ SpA 30 IVs Magnet Magneton Thunderbolt vs. +2 240 HP / 0 SpD Suicune: 147-174 (36.6 - 43.3%) -- 98.9% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 140+ SpA 30 IVs Magnet Magneton Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 132+ SpD Skarmory: 336-396 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The Speed allows Magneton to outspeed Adamant Tyranitar by 2 points. This can occasionally be helpful in the Tyranitar matchup, but it is more so to creep the Water-types who might try to outspeed Tyranitar by 1 point like Suicune and Vaporeon.
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
This Starmie seems like a hybrid between its two common sets. The moves give Defensive while the EVs give Offensive. You might be asking where the Thunderbolt is. I contend that the most important Pokemon that are worth hitting with Thunderbolt is Skarmory, who we should be trapping with Magneton. It is nice to have a tool to force Water-types such as Suicune and Milotic into Rest or Recover looping, but I find that it is not super necessary with Leech Seed Celebi in the back. It would in theory be nice to hit opposing Starmie, but this is a sacrifice that I am willing to make to keep Starmie’s longevity with Recover. In fact, the combination of Recover and 361 Speed allows us to beat Endeavor Swampert quite well. We can always outspeed and revenge kill. We have Natural Cure to mitigate Toxic. We can also fairly reliably Recover loop while Swampert is at greater than 1 HP.
This is the most standard EV spread of the Pokemon on this team. The only “tech” is the minusculely higher HP investment, which helps Starmie guarantee survival against opposing +1 Salamence.
- +1 252+ Atk Salamence Hidden Power Flying vs. 8 HP / 0 Def Starmie: 222-262 (84.4 - 99.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Salamence @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 80 HP / 192 Atk / 92 SpD / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Brick Break
- Rock Slide
Dragon Dance Salamence is the quintessential win condition for offense in ADV nowadays. You may be familiar with the Mix Offense archetype Slop (Slop Guide). On that team, Salamence leverages its high base Atk and solid coverage to break holes through the opponent’s defensive pieces in the mid-game while also having the ability to leverage its superb Speed after a boost to sweep teams in the late-game. For our team, the same ideas remain true. However, unlike Slop, who breaks Skarmory via every member having strong trading tools, we will use Magneton to remove Skamory to unlock Salamence’s path to victory. Also unlike Slop, we do not have a specific gameplan to trade into physical walls. Instead, Salamence should be used to soften up the opponent if it comes in before the physical walls have been dealt with and then used as a late-game sweeper once the walls have been broken. I opt for Hidden Power Flying / Rock Slide / Brick Break coverage to handle Celebi, Zapdos, Aerodactyl, Gyarados, Tyranitar, and Blissey specifically. The lack of Earthquake does make Metagross and Jirachi a bit harder to deal with, but the combination of Leech Seed Celebi, Starmie, Magneton, and Swampert is often good enough to make those matchups playable. Also, Intimidate is a really good ability that can seal some otherwise dicey late-games.
First, I want to note the Speed of 271. “Standard” Dragon Dance Salamence tends to run 270 Speed to outspeed Adamant Heracross and Modest Suicune. One additional Speed helps our Salamence to have an edge in the 1v1 vs opposing Salamence. Since the HP investment on Standard Dragon Dance Salamence is basically just leftover investment, I recommend that you also try to find ways to put a little speed creep on your Salamence without giving away any defensive utility that you might reasonably use.
The 80 HP / 92 SpD investment is to survive an unboosted Celebi or Venusaur’s Hidden Power Ice (assuming that they are not Modest) after sand damage. This is an incredibly niche scenario, but it can save you in matchups where the best way forward is to Dragon Dance in front of these Grass-types.
The Atk investment allows Salamence to 2HKO Modest Blissey with Brick Break, even outside of sand. It also has favorable rolls across the board to OHKO targets such as Zapdos and Celebi at +1 with its super effective coverage.
The 80 HP / 92 SpD investment is to survive an unboosted Celebi or Venusaur’s Hidden Power Ice (assuming that they are not Modest) after sand damage. This is an incredibly niche scenario, but it can save you in matchups where the best way forward is to Dragon Dance in front of these Grass-types.
- 252 SpA Celebi Hidden Power Ice vs. 80 HP / 92 SpD 30 IVs Salamence: 278-328 (79.2 - 93.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 0 SpA Gengar Ice Punch vs. 80 HP / 92 SpD 30 IVs Salamence: 295-348 (84 - 99.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- -1 252 Atk 30 IVs Choice Band Aerodactyl Rock Slide vs. 80 HP / 0 Def Salamence: 256-302 (72.9 - 86%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
The Atk investment allows Salamence to 2HKO Modest Blissey with Brick Break, even outside of sand. It also has favorable rolls across the board to OHKO targets such as Zapdos and Celebi at +1 with its super effective coverage.
- 192+ Atk Salamence Brick Break vs. 0 HP / 252 Def Blissey: 351-414 (53.9 - 63.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- +1 192+ Atk Salamence Rock Slide vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Zapdos: 306-360 (95 - 111.8%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
- +1 192+ Atk Salamence Hidden Power Flying vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Celebi: 374-440 (92.5 - 108.9%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 240 HP / 112 SpA / 156 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Leech Seed
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Psychic
- Recover
A special wall, particularly one that handles Zapdos, is necessary for this team to function. Celebi seems to be the Pokemon that best fits the bill. Switching into lead Zapdos with Celebi is a quintessential Crapbo line, but being able to stave off Suicune with Leech Seed and Hidden Power Grass is also very good. Leech Seed is also borderline necessary for the Blissey matchup since we would otherwise be relying almost entirely on Swampert or Magneton’s Toxic to force out the Blissey or for +1 Salamence to trade into it. Originally, I had Calm Mind in place of Leech Seed, but over time, I realized that Leech Seed was necessary for forcing progress into sturdy special attackers such as Blissey, Suicune, and Zapdos, especially in late-game situations.
The most important consideration for the EVs on Celebi is the 1-on-1 matchup against Dugtrio. My preferred bulky Dugtrio spread is 72 HP / 72 SpD. This allows Dugtrio to simultaneously survive a Modest Blissey Ice Beam, a Jolly Tyranitar Earthquake (which is becoming less-and-less common, admittedly), and two Seismic Tosses after a Spike from full health. This Celebi set is guaranteed to OHKO that Dugtrio spread.
A minimum of 208 HP is needed for Celebi to survive a 252 Atk Hidden Power Bug from Dugtrio. It may be worth investing a bit more in Def to help Celebi guarantee that it survives after sand damage, though.
A Speed stat of 275 was achieved to help with speed creeping Salamence and some Zapdos spreads. We consequently are always faster than Smeargle, but this is not the most important function of the benchmark. A speed of 280 would be great to outspeed Modest Moltres, but that is not the highest concern for Celebi on this team. 270 is the bare minimum that I would go here to have additional revenge-killing support into Heracross and Suicune.
- 112+ SpA 30 IVs Celebi Hidden Power Grass vs. 72 HP / 72 SpD 30 IVs Dugtrio: 229-270 (100 - 117.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
A minimum of 208 HP is needed for Celebi to survive a 252 Atk Hidden Power Bug from Dugtrio. It may be worth investing a bit more in Def to help Celebi guarantee that it survives after sand damage, though.
- 252 Atk Choice Band Dugtrio Hidden Power Bug vs. 240 HP / 0 Def Celebi: 333-392 (83 - 97.7%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after sandstorm damage
A Speed stat of 275 was achieved to help with speed creeping Salamence and some Zapdos spreads. We consequently are always faster than Smeargle, but this is not the most important function of the benchmark. A speed of 280 would be great to outspeed Modest Moltres, but that is not the highest concern for Celebi on this team. 270 is the bare minimum that I would go here to have additional revenge-killing support into Heracross and Suicune.
Difficult Matchups
While I stand by this team’s fairly cohesive matchup spread, I have to acknowledge that some teams and lines are difficult to deal with. I will briefly mention and explain some problem matchups below.
Boom Spam + Win Condition that is checked by Swampert.
Swampert is frequently tasked with switching into physical attackers, especially Metagross. If Metagross lands its Explosion on Swampert, then you have to identify in very short order whether you need to gameplan to stop Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Dragon Dance Salamence, or Choice Band Aerodactyl from steamrolling the team. Smartly pivoting between Salamence and the less-necessary Pokemon for the matchup (oftentimes Magneton) can allow for some room for error, but it is very easy to bleed out of resources before neutralizing the opponent’s physical threats if Swampert is handled.
While this is not exactly what happened in this game, taking a Metagross Boom on Starmie basically sealed fate in the late-game.
Ice Beam Suicune.
Ice Beam Suicune is not an immediate loss for this team, but the options for dealing with it are somewhat constrained. Celebi may be tasked with switching into Suicune as it uses Calm Mind, and Celebi will have to hit its 90% accurate Leech Seed to slow down Suicune’s progress. If Celebi misses or gets frozen or gets critically hit, it can be quite difficult to stop Suicune from getting too much value in the mid-game.
Offensive Celebi.
In general, the best tool that we have to KO opposing Celebi is Salamence’s Hidden Power Flying. However, it can get awkward to find a position for Salamence to safely enter vs Celebi. While we have the bulk to survive an unboosted Hidden Power Ice, Salamence does not want to eat +1 Psychic (or of course Hidden Power Ice) without dealing significant damage back. Defensive variants of Celebi are also somewhat difficult to KO, but our own Celebi can stall PP and eventually find a safe switch to Salamence to threaten big damage. Sometimes it may be worth slamming a Crunch from Tyranitar or Ice Beam from Starmie if you think the opponent is not going to Giga Drain regardless of the Celebi set. If you let a fast Celebi get to +2, that is usually a loss for this team.
Overall, I am extremely happy with how this team has performed. It was very satisfying to get my first ever 1800 and top 1 on ladder with a team that I built myself. I can’t wait to make a video about this! Also, if blunder sees this, Agency Agency.
Video Link:
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618709793-ljy8qrbflc5a8r2i6g5fibueoennuo4pw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618711741-rvh4f58vnng3d4o9l2r2eicc45782t1pw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618715524-arkfu10vsiwdqmkr0pf5kiyvjf0xtk2pw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618722725-1qr0ti14l8wmcufmps1n7iyq8rmbw95pw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618728249-jk9w2d7yobq56h1e4056xt4luk5xgtqpw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618731229-705ow4fffdprrqha40uy7yftbxgc72qpw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618741403-rk4d0et5qb093e04iokdmeoinh3vofepw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618752463-0gxm2wx3rawecoidbj5vo6dvd6xamx2pw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618787062-5lo7odb2udmxhrxc8e5kklenut3iui7pw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618793252-8ssw1pe0n37grc9ns20n5nldtjqp83hpw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618811724-dr29xwt90rows3o74hlyrsx30t3d15hpw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2618866525-fmnp1icu0opv7lugkjas6upbxbggv7npw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2620392292-bb9tcptxsbl6ed9wymrjir5olan1f5mpw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2620398333-5ehf8ko3t339y4ph6l9jnkbsem23idspw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2621660672-5i4wlysdmrvjnfinrgmtb50x0ovd8pspw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622270886-b142bfnolfxgbphxryx2k7v2n26vfn7pw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622274629-pjrv4gt43gnt443frrnwqx7uc8ggac0pw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622280566-rk5qjbcj3nedg5ucrlqqwy521ml4dstpw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622283862-6vi6ny8udv7lj98u6ugd3y9dhmhwd6dpw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622287061-y4d4yi4scim4aq8g2o6gn5tbxh8ljovpw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622289023-1h941tcspvvfmlup211nx5try1kj2qapw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622292289-n9uhknysm619v9hequ7nxhcsyttm52qpw?p2 (This one cracks me up.)
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622296502-ebn2454c03flk57v1aidr61raowo780pw
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622299040-wmvtxxhnml8xgddgbkq18nb5i1viqfgpw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622301990-01gvcmv5wycpfaaoasylisbwsmsvovkpw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622308487-she94o05sqiodiukh72s8rxxvpv62uapw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622311793-wpcqg3j76i088h6tmln4cl40cpsa1ugpw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622316944-nnmf2022lcm877l5prp6xm4fh8h2yd8pw?p2
- https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen3ou-2622326250-y5hlo48dh18mker17nbhwvdv1dwv0xkpw?p2 (The game that gets the peak.)
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