5 random favorites and a stupid blissey thrown together

[takenbyname]

This is a team I'm putting together in my Pearl game.

Infernape @ Expert Belt
Naive: 24 Atk, 252 SAtk, 232 Spd
Blaze
- Close Combat
- Nasty Plot
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot

Standard Mixape. I don't like the sacrificing-HP-ness of Life Orb, so I'm gonna use Expert Belt unless anyone else has a good reason why not to.

Gyarados @ Leftovers
Adamant: 4 HP, 252 Atk, 252 Spd
Intimidate
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

I love this guy, I got lucky and found an adamant Magikarp in the wild with all-around good EVs so I'm using it.

Gengar @ Wide Lens
Timid: 4 HP, 252 SAtk, 252 Spd
Levitate
- Hypnosis
- Shadow Ball
- Psychic
- Focus Blast

One of my favorites, from back in the RBY days. I love the new Wide Lens and boosted Hypnosis accuracy. Puts opponents to sleep and attacks like a crazyperson.

Donphan @ Leftovers
Impish: 252 HP, 4 Atk, 252 Def
Sturdy
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stone Edge/Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin

Another one of my favorites -- I think the GSC pokemon are all around neglected, so I love bringing this guy out. My Spinner and physical wall with a punch.

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Impish: 252 HP, 156 Spd, 4 Atk, 96 Def
Keen Eye
- Brave Bird
- Spikes/Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Whirlwind

Standard. I like having Spikes available with Whirlwind to guarantee damage to every opponent except Flying ones, but I like that Stealth Rock only requires 1 turn to set up -- this will depend on what I do with Donphan.

Blissey @ Leftovers
Bold: 4 HP, 252 Def, 252 SAtk
Serene Grace
- Calm Mind
- Softboiled
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam

I hate this pokemon, but I felt like it worked perfectly with my team. special wall/boltbeamer.

 

[twash]

On Infernape, Life Orb means you OHKO 4/0 Gyarados with a +2 LO Nasty Plot after SR damage. It also means you OHKO Blissey with Close Combat.

Is Wide Lens really worth using? In Platinum it raises Hypnosis' accuracy to..72%. Only a mere 12%, when Scarf would be great..! (x1.5 Speed)

Gyarados does serious damage to this team. I would start by using Choice Scarf on Gengar, with Shadow Ball / Focus Blast / Thunderbolt / Hypnosis or Explosion. Psychic doesn't achieve much, so the extra moveslot is incredibly nice. Choice Scarf outspeeds +1 Gyarados, meaning you can stop the sweep easier. Explosion would help against the likes of Salamence who are on moderate HP and you NEED to take them out.

Opposing Infernape also easily take out your primary defensive core. You have no real safe switch-in (bar MAYBE your own Infernape). Donphan seems to be doing least so I would change it for Tentacruel or Vaporeon. The latter helps with team support (Wish), and helps against Gyarados (Hidden Power Electric). Tentacruel can Rapid Spin however, as well as using Toxic Spikes.

This works nicely with my next point..

Swampert runs through this team like a hot knife through butter (lol), especially Curse / Rest / Sleep Talk / Waterfall. You can only Grass Knot it easily, but that isn't a safe switch-in. Sure, Skarmory can Whirlwind, but it loses because of Rest. Even Toxic Spikes won't save you! For this reason I also suggest Vaporeon again, whom that Swampert can do nothing to, thanks to Water Absorb! IMO, put it over Donphan. Watch for Stealth Rock on Gyarados though!

 

[Imran]

What is this problem? It's the lack of a unifying, central strategy behind the team. Six "standard" pokemon that are capable on their own, nothing else. These teams are being built solely with new and old standards in mind, and inserting their counters. I think that the mindset behind these teams is something like "Okay, Pokemon x1, x2, ..., are threats, so here are pokemon that can counter them...and then y1 and y2 for offense", or something close to that. This worked reasonably well in Advance. This will not work in DP.

Get the IMplications of that. This team will get you no where as you have no plan, no overriding strategy, no nothing. So please try to give something that team raters can rate rather than just 5 pokemon. Nice attempt thought Twash ;)