CAMEL CRANKER
This team started,
as Gen 3 apparently did, with Camerupt. Camerupt has been there since the beginning, and it hasn't changed because apparently it is, like Relicanth, a perfect life-form that cannot be improved upon. But who IS Camerupt, and what can it do?
Camerupt @ Leftovers
Ability: Magma Armor
EVs: 76 Atk / 252 SpA / 180 Spe
Mild Nature
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Earthquake
- Explosion
This is the Camerupt set that we're using for this team. Camerupt's Fire/Ground typing is unique in that its able to switch in and absorb Status from the likes of Gengar, Zapdos and Registeel, taking Wisps, T-Waves, Thunderbolts, Hidden Power Grass/Ice, Fire Punch, etc. Immunity to both Thunderbolt and Thunder Wave in particular can be very useful in the early stages of the game, allowing us to switch out of a lead Milotic vs. Zapdos matchup without risking taking a T-Wave on Jolteon. Our friend the Camel is not immune to Toxic, however we only need a few switch ins from the Camel to open up some of our other mons. 180 EVs in Speed gets us to 162, just outspeeding the usual Monopert sets, with HP Grass doing a substantial chunk of damage (74.9 - 88.3% to the standard Defensive set, which is often coming in on a spike and taking an EQ/Fire Blast). EVs are maxed in SpA to increase the odds that Camerupt can KO Swampert with a Fire Blast (23.8 - 28.2%) + HP Grass (74.9 - 88.3%) without a spike, thus allowing it to Explode on a different target later For faster Swampert sets, such as EndPert, 245 speed Milotic with Recover will be the best switch-in. I've settled on Fire Blast for this set, but it can also be useful to run Flamethrower here to guarantee damage on the switch, allowing you to check the leftovers order.
Now, time for the Camel's friends.
Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 244 SpA / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
- Crunch
- Fire Blast
- Focus Punch
- Substitute
Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Hidden Power [Bug]
- Explosion
I'll be discussing these two together, because this combination is the reason we are running Camerupt. I associate these two sets with "Forre Offense", where we're often using Forre to set up a Spike and then use Explosion to help open up opportunities for faster threats on our team, while still maintaining the ability to spin if the matchup calls for it. Unlike many Forretress teams though, Forre Offense often runs Tyranitar sets without Pursuit, going for a faster pace than Forre + Suit Tar teams. This, in turn, makes the teams weaker into Gengar in particular, which Camerupt can switch into without fear of Will-o-Wisp.
While Forre sets up Spikes, BOAH Tar helps to bait in and break down mons that HP Ice Jolt either cannot deal with itself, or needs chipped. Targets like Swampert, Metagross, Claydol and Registeel all take significant chip from BOAH Tar, helping to open up the way for Jolteon later. The Tyranitar EVs are to maximize the damage of Crunch and Fire Blast on these targets and allow for 101 HP Substitutes while also outspeeding slower defensive Swamperts. Focus Punch off of a Modest nature may seem counter-intuitive, but our primary Punch target, Blissey, is still taking at least 69.4% when running a Bold nature, and even Registeel is taking a minimum 48.3%.
Jolteon @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Baton Pass
- Wish
Next, Jolteon. Hidden Power Ice here hits Salamence, Flygon, and ground-types excluding Swampert, for which the plan as described above is to chip it with spikes and lure it in to take damage from either Camerupt or BOAH Tar. Baton Pass lets us pivot around the entry of threats that Jolteon either needs chipped or cannot deal with, for which BOAH Tar will often help. The only out of the ordinary move choice here is Wish, which while not unheard of on Jolteon is not the most common fourth move. Wish here allows Jolteon to supply its other teammates with more entry points. This can be a big boost for Camerupt, since despite its unique typing giving it some entry points, its defenses are rather
notoriously not great. Wish also can help to allow Tyranitar to use Substitute more freely, heal up our sole rock resist Flygon, and in longer games, allow Forretress to more effectively keep Spikes off of the field.
These first four mons were the initial concept for the team, with the last two slots, Flygon and Milotic, serving to fill in for their weaknesses.
Flygon @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Atk / 80 SpA / 32 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Fire Blast
- Rock Slide
- Toxic
- Earthquake
The first four mons are not rock resists, and we need one of those. You may also notice that 3/4 of them are weak to Earthquake, with Forre still taking neutral damage. The natural solution here is Flygon, giving us both a flyer and a rock resist in one. However, I feel that Flygon needs support as the team's only rock resist, which comes in the form of Jolteon's Wish to heal it back up in the case that it loses most of its health dealing with, say, a 252+ Attack Tyranitar Double Edge, which has become a more common lead with the rise of SLOP. Other than Milotic at lead to help vs. Slop Tar (among other threats), Flygons EVs allow it to deal at minimum 74.5% to bulkless DD Tar, which in turn will deal between 25.8 - 30.4% recoil damage to itself from +1 D-Edge. Fire Blast here ensures that Skarmory cannot freely switch in and set up Spikes. Forre is often looking for a good target to hit with Explosion after it Spikes up, so Fire Blast can allow for Forre to accomplish that without conceding that Skarm will just come in and get 3 layers later.
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 56 Def / 228 SpA / 36 SpD / 188 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Mirror Coat
- Recover
Saving the Lead for Last, we have Milotic. So, why are we using Milotic, and why is it our Lead? Milotic is our primary switch-in to many of the water types that Camerupt invites in, aside from those its acting to lure in to hit with HP Grass (slower Swampert sets) and Suicune, in which case we want to go Jolteon first to prevent it from endlessly stacking Calm Minds. Offensive Starmie in particular can also be a big threat to this team, for which we can switch into a water move, click Recover to scout if they are going to switch out or attempt to power through Milotic with Thunderbolt, and in the second case, eliminate Starmie with Mirror Coat. 36+ SpD investment means that Modest Starmie Thunderbolt will deal a maximum of 49.5% to Milotic, making this Recover loop a net-positive barring crits (though the aim is to scout the T-bolt and then immediately eliminate Starmie). Mirror Coat can also help with Celebi (unless its running HP Grass) and Suicune in cases where it is able to set up Calm Minds. Ice Beam is also necessary here to hit Salamence, as a Mence that sets up a DD (often on Tyranitar or by threatening a Mixed set with Fire Blast vs. Forretress) can no longer be outsped by Jolteon.
Milotic is used at the lead slot to help against lead Tyranitar (which would otherwise need to be answered by Flygon early and do a big chunk to our only rock resist), Metagross (lead CB Meta can deal over half to near-bulkless Milotic on switch in; leading Milo allows us to avoid needing to switch Forre in on a potential Houdini) and Salamence (for which Choice Band leads can be difficult to maneuver around with a lead such as Tyranitar. 56 Defense EVs allows Milotic to live a CB Medicham Brick break at lead (we otherwise do not have a good switch into Medi T1) and 188 Speed outruns all Tyranitar sets (plus Celebi sets which can sometimes sit at 244 speed). For Zapdoes lead, we have Camerupt.
Finally, I'll give shoutouts to juke and nal, as many of the concepts used in this team are ideas I learned interacting with them over discord and using their teams. I didn't even start off building this team with Hog Cranker in mind, but once I settled on the idea of Milotic, and as Lead no less, I had to call this "Camel Cranker." I like how it sounds.
