9 In The Afternoon (Peaked #2)

[RileySox]

Introduction
The ladder can be a frustrating journey when trying to climb up. You want to find the best team with the best strategy that will beat any opponent. To do this you must power through heavy storms of rain, the blazing heat of the sun, damaging pelts of sand (or the uncommon hail), dragons, steel, and stall. Defeating the top Pokémon mean you must use the top Pokémon. Let's take six of the 15 top used Pokémon, put them together, and you get a team on top of the leaderboard. However, just like any good ladder player, using this team takes prediction. Know your opponent's next move and you will feel victorious as you shoot up your rating. Like any other team though, it has its flaws and is always open to constructive criticism.

A First Glance

A Closer Look

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind
- Hidden Power [Ghost]

Keldeo will put huge dents in any team unprepared for it. Surf over Hydro Pump for accuracy as I'd rather hit the opponent with some damage than none. Rain is so popular on the ladder, which makes surf even more effective. Secret Sword is a given for STAB plus fighting moves are highly effective in this metagame. Icy Wind hits dragons coming in on a switch and can even hit again after a speed drop. Hidden Power [ghost] hits Celebi and Jellicent, two of Keldeo's top used counters.

Jirachi @ Expert Belt
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SAtk / 224 HP / 32 Spd
Modest Nature
- Icy Wind
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Stealth Rock

This uncommon Jirachi moveset has surprised so many opponents. So many Garchomps and Landorus' stay in to set up their stealth rock while I KO with Icy Wind. Thunderbolt hits water types that Icy Wind and HP Fire wouldn't scratch. HP fire hit Scizors and Ferrothorns who are popular switch ins to Jirachi. Stealth Rock is a staple move for any team and this surprising moveset will gives me time to set up most of my games.

Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-turn

I have used this Scizor ever since 4th gen and has never let me down. It's the number one used Pokémon for a reason and that reason is the Technician STAB'd priority Bullet Punch. Scizor acts as a sponge for Outrages and Draco Meteors and threatens to dent the opposing dragons. Pursuit will trap kill fleeing Celebi's without Baton Pass and the ever popular Latios. I've also had it hit specially defensive Jellicents and scared Gengars. Superpower is my least used move but will hit hard against an unprepared opponents switch. Choice Banded U-turn puts heavy dents and gains momentum as I switch in to the opponent's counter.

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Rotom-Wash was the last addition to this team and I was frustrated in auditioning a sixth member. I tried out Landorus, Starmie, Latios, Breloom, Kyurem-B, Alakazam, Politoed, Heatran, and Volcarona, but none of them fit this team as well as Rotom-W. I would say this is my least favorite Pokémon only because of Hydro Pump. The accuracy is a pain in the ass and can turn an entire game around after a miss. However, it is very useful against opposing ground types who laugh at Thunder Wave. Volt Switch is for STAB and to complete the VoltTurn combo gaining much momentum for this team. HP Ice hits dragons and grass types commonly switching in. Thunder Wave slows down an opponent's team and can make sweeping easier late game.

Dragonite @ Lum Berry
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- ExtremeSpeed
- Fire Punch

Without a spinner, taking advantage of Multiscale to set up Dragon Dance is rare. However, I still see no disappointment as picking off opposing teams worn down Pokémon is ExtremeFun with ExtremeSpeed. The opponent can try to burn, sleep, paralyze, or poison but Lum Berry will usually give me a free Dragon Dance as I destroy next turn. Hey if I still have Lum Berry after I'm done denting with Outrage, then I can continue wreaking havoc without worrying about confusion. Fire Punch over Earthquake to hit Ferrothorn and Skarmory for more damage.

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Aqua Tail

MVP. No explanation. Cleans up teams with Outrage or Earthquake. Rock Slide for Volcarona and Aqua Tail over Fire Fang due to rain being popular.

Wrapping Up
This is the team I've had the most fun with in my entire life. Why? Because I win with it and winning is fun. Having three choice'd users can lose a lot of momentum if you predict wrong. This is why the VoltTurn combo works with this team even though it is decreasing in popularity.

Threats
I have one fighting type resistance and Dragonite doesn't like to switch in on Stealth Rock, a fighting type move, and sit in to take the next move with it's low speed. Breloom, Conkeldurr, Toxicroak, and Lucario can sweep if I'm careless with prediction.

Conclusion
The objective is to set up the Stealth Rock, slow down the opposing with T-Wave, VoltTurn as much as possible, dent with Keldeo, pickoff with Scizor and Dragonite, and cleanup with Garchomp.

 

[MCBarrett]

Hey RileySox, real solid team you have here and congrats on the peak!

One thing I can see your team benefiting a lot from though is Rapid Spin support which it currently is lacking. I think simply switching your current Keldeo for LO Analytic Starmie will really benefit your team. Now you will be able to VoltTurn without having to worry about racking up hazards damage and you will be able to keep Dragonite's Multiscale in tact, and possibly regain it if you pass a Healing Wish to it later on. Starmie's Offensive Power is also pretty comparable to Keldeo's, and does only 3% less on average on the switch thanks to Analytic. Plus, not having 3 choice locked Pokes anymore should ease your reliance on prediction a bit.

Next, on your Jirachi, I would simply change your current item from Expert Belt to Shucca Berry just so you can set up rocks on things like Mamoswine, Landorus-T and Garchomp more reliably.

Lastly, since your team does have some pretty nice speed overall and has a weakness to Fighting Type attackers I think Will-o-Wisp over Thunder Wave on Rotom-W would be a good option to help you deal with those threats a bit better. I would also change your spread to at least outspeed Adamant Breloom, meaning you would have to hit 240 speed. Taking the EV's from Special Attack is fine. I would also either go with Chesto Rest or Pain Split over HP Ice to increase your longevity a bit since it will be taking nearly all of the Rain Spam for your team. You already have enough Ice coverage on your team as it is.

Hopefully my suggestions helped! Let me know how it works and great job with the team!

 

[Qualna]

I have a few and little suggestions for your team.

First, Scizor should have a spread of 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spd that way, it takes less damage from hazards.

Second, Rotom should be running more speed with a minimum of 220 Speed EV to outspeed something like Jolly Breloom and Adamant Mamoswine.

And last, Garchomp should be Jolly Nature, to outpace at least positive-natured 90's at +1.

Hmmm.. I think that's all, this is really a solid team. :) :3

 

[PDC]

Hi, solid team you got here.

The majority of this rate will be adjusting small spreads and maybe changing some moves around, as the team itself is solid already. It doesn't really have too many stand out problems, but it could use some little adjustments to make it better. I will start off with the small things first, that being adjustments of small EV changes. My first small suggestion is changing 4 HP to 4 Defense on Dragonite, who will now be able to switch into rocks 5 times instead of 4. Another suggestion I would make is just changing to spread on Scizor slightly, and hit 248 HP EVs instead so that you can now hit a Stealth Rock number as well. Now onto bigger things, I would change up Rotom-W's EV spread a little to accommodate it better overall. I would use 248 HP / 104 SAtk / 156 Spe Modest instead, this way you can outspeed SashTar and specially defensive Jirachi in general. You also outspeed most bulky Landorus-T who have some extra speed as well, which is very useful.

For your Jirachi, I am agreeing with MC here with using Shuca Berry over Expert Belt. Shuca Berry is much more useful in this case so Landorus-T and Garchomp will never beat you bar a crit, and you always can beat them with Icy Wind anyway. Another change is Garchomp's nature from Adamant to Jolly so you can outspeed Volcorona, a large threat to all types of teams. Adamant ScarfChomp loses a lot of its revenge killing abilities, so you should almost always use Jolly over Adamant in these cases.

Good luck!

 

[zzazzdsa]

Ok, I didn't really think this team would be great, but I used it in yesterday's smogon tour and got to the semifinals (where i choked on the last turn to the eventual winner, marth). The synergy it has is just amazing, so there really isn't much I can change. However, there are a few nitpicks I would make to make the team better.

First, change Jirachi's Thunderbolt to Iron Head. This allows you to bluff running the standard hazards rachi set of SR/Icy Wind/Iron Head/Thunderbolt. This lures in things like Scizor, which promptly gets destroyed by Hidden Power [Fire]. Changing the nature to Rash and adding a few attacks EVs should work. Also, increase Jirachi's speed to 263. This lets you outspeed sash breloom and other things like SD scizor, slow gliscor, and so on. Finally, give Jirachi a Shuca Berry. This lets you comfortably take an Earthquake from Garchomp or Landorus-T (even with a crit from defensive lan-t iirc, since you run bulk) and Icy Wind back, slowing them down enough to 2HKO the next turn.

Next, change Rotom-W's set to Will-O-Wisp/Volt Switch/Hydro Pump/(Hidden Power [Grass]/Hidden Power [Fire]/Pain Split/Signal Beam). I never really used Thunder Wave, and found Will-O-Wisp to be far more useful in burning things like Scizor and Garchomp. Also, Hidden Power [Ice] just seems pointless to me, since Volt Switching to Garchomp is a perfectly effective strategy in taking out dragons, and Landorus-T is not that scary to this team anyway. One of the paranthesesed moves should be more effective. Also, change Rotom-W to the spread PDC put above, as this lets you outspeed most annoying walls and Volt Switch out.

Run Jolly Garchomp. This lets you outspeed so many important threats that Adamant misses. You might miss the extra 10% power, but its well worth killing threats like Salamence and Volcarona. Also make the changes PDC recommended above to Dragonite's and Scizor's EVs above, as these give those two Stealth Rock HP numbers, increasing the number of times they can switch in.

That's my rate, good luck with the team.

 

[dice]

hello rileysox.
pretty solid team you've made, but there are a few things I believe you can change which will solidify your team offensively and defensively. you've listed most of the main threats to your team in the section, so you must obviously have a good understanding of what your weak points are and I shouldn't have to list them all out. in short, fighting-types are some of the biggest issues your team has. Terrakion, for example, can come into almost any Pokémon on your team if they are locked into the wrong move and proceed to decimate with no prediction needed. Due to the fact that Dragonite is your only fighting-resist, this makes all Fighting-types troublesome. Even Breloom can eventually wear down Dragonite with a Focus Punch or repeated spores on the switch and eventually neuter your team. Opposing Rotom-W can take a toll on your team with repeated Will-o-Wisps, Hydro Pumps, etc.; this is exacerbated due to the fact that you lack a reliable Pokémon to effectively lure it in for a KO. Of course you can send in your own Rotom-W or Dragonite, but the former just gets Volt Switched upon and the latter has the same happen and loses Multiscale. I hope I don't need to explain why Garchomp isn't a reliable countermeasure. Lead Garchomp are quite troublesome since you don't really have anything to do against it that doesn't require losing a Pokémon or being locked into a Choiced move. Basically, you have most things covered, but things like fighters and some Dragons may cause problems. Because of this, I recommend running a Landorus-T instead of Garchomp. Scarf Landorus-T works similarly to Garchomp with a reliable method of revenge killing, but it gets the boon of being able to Intimidate the foe and have a Fighting resistance. Its U-turn makes the rare NP Celebi with HP Ice far less of a problem while solving the aforementioned problems in Fighting Types. Landorus-T often is overlooked as a Choice Scarf user as many things like Timid Volcarona can outspeed it at +1; however, your own Dragonite beats Volcarona and your steels can beat the dragons that outspeed Landorus-T like Salamence. A set of U-turn / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Hidden Power Ice | Sleep Talk will work fine with Max Spe / Atk. I think HP Ice will work better, but it's up to you. For a few small nitpicks, definitely try out Shuca Berry on Jirachi with Energy Ball instead of Thunderbolt. This weakens the Rotom-W weakness as its a common switch-in to Mixed Jirachi, and it also makes you a lot less weak to Gastrodon while providing similar coverage. Shuca Berry allows you to lead against Garchomp among taking other random EQs. I think Pain Split will be superior to HP Ice and Will-o-Wisp to Thunder Wave on Rotom-W for more survivability and a way to help weaken Ferrothorn. This set is standard for a reason. You could also try out a Specially Defensive spread on Rotom-W if you find yourself weak to the rain matchup, but that's up to you. Good luck.
p.s. I don't agree with Starmie > Keldeo as you lose your offensive Scizor check.