Hi welcome to my RMT thread. I've spent some time with this team and all is not sitting right with me. It is a pretty balanced team with 3 physical and 3 special attackers, a special wall and a physical wall and a team that overall tries to compensate for other pokes type weaknesses. This is why I present it to you now so you can slash it to bits! (but hopefully not too much). Enjoy! [Currently testing]
Kabutops (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 74 HP/252 Atk/184 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
- Rapid Spin
Kabutops was chosen to set-up stealth rock and basically take out other leads with his STAB moves. Stone edge offers good base power + STAB and aqua jet kills of focus sash pokes and if he's still alive allows him to revenge kill other pokes late game. Rapid spin was chosen > waterfall because I hate having SR all over my team and he learns the move, so why not!? Ultimately though he's not pulling his weight and surprisingly enough I have yet to test him against an ambipom lead, which I don't think he'd fair too well against.
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Venusaur (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 252 HP/6 SAtk/252 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Roar
- Leaf Storm
- Sludge Bomb
Venusaur acts as my special wall/answer to SubCM raikou. In that respect venusaur comes in on raikou as he subs/CMs and then roars him away. The sub damage + SR should weaken him enough to kill later. Sleep powder offers me some status support and can result in more switching or a free switch for me. Roar is for Phazing stat-uppers and leaf storm and sludge bomb are dual special STAB moves. I was thinking about changing these STAB moves to a physical set of power whip and earthquake, but I didn't want to upset the special/physical attack balance if got. Venusaur has reasonable synergy with slowbro taking grass and electric special attacks aimed at slowbro. I did recently have trouble with a SD venusaur which none of my walls could stand up against. Any suggestions on a compromise to solve this?
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Slowbro (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/6 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Slack Off
- Psychic
- Surf
- Thunder Wave
Is there a better more reliable physical wall than slowbro? Well I don't think so. It's a standard set with dual STAB moves, slack off for instant healing which is a must and he also comes with T-wave support because my team is a little on the slow side, plus it doesn't hurt to throw some status around. Slowbro covers types like physical fighting attacks aimed at kabutops or any other poke on the team that doesn't like to take a STAB close combat in the face. Apart from that he is the only poke on the team that is remotely physically bulky and I find myself relying to heavily on him to take all physical hits when threatened.
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Hitmontop (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/6 Def
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Fake Out
- Mach Punch
- Revenge [Sucker Punch]
- Stone Edge
I had trouble picking a physical attacker but hitmontop comes with technician priority attacks that I just couldn't pass up. Arcanine was another tempting choice, but he is weak to stealth rock and if kabutops is dead (more than likely) he would take a hefty bit of damage switching in, whereas hitmontop resists SR. Fake out and mach punch are handy priority attacks to open up with allowing hitmontop to gain some free damage with fake out. Revenge I felt was better than close combat because I'm not a fan of the defence drops on hitmontops impressive 50/95/110 defensive stats and it allows me to take advantage of hitmontops rather middling 70 base speed. Stone edge has come in handy more than once and can take down most flyers that switch in.
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Gallade (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Shadow Sneak
- Ice Punch
- Leaf Blade
I like to keep gallade a secret for as long as possible, but he usually finds himself showing his face about mid game. Expert belt feigns a CB and I like to pretend it's a CB for as long as possible by switching out after using one move, unless of course its just too damn tempting to take something down. CC gives him incredible STAB power, plus shadow sneak gives unresisted coverage + priority to pick of weaker pokes. Ice punch can take down grass and flyers as well as altaria. Leaf blade allows coverage of water types like milotic and slowbro. Altogether a mean piece of beef, but would it be worth changing his nature to jolly? I've run into quite a few venusaurs that have out sped me and wondered if it was worth sacrificing some power to get a speed tie?
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Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 70 HP/252 Spd/116 SAtk/72 SDef [6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk]
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute [Shadow Ball]
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice] [Hidden Power [Fighting]]
My late game sweeper, but to be honest he hasn't seen much action and I'm thinking of replacing him with another special attacker, but who?? This is the standard defensive CM set, which I set-up a sub and calm mind until I need to sub again or im ready to sweep. T-bolt is his main attack gaining STAB power and HP ice is for coverage, but I may change it to HP grass. Any thought on that?
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Kabutops (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 74 HP/252 Atk/184 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
- Rapid Spin
Kabutops was chosen to set-up stealth rock and basically take out other leads with his STAB moves. Stone edge offers good base power + STAB and aqua jet kills of focus sash pokes and if he's still alive allows him to revenge kill other pokes late game. Rapid spin was chosen > waterfall because I hate having SR all over my team and he learns the move, so why not!? Ultimately though he's not pulling his weight and surprisingly enough I have yet to test him against an ambipom lead, which I don't think he'd fair too well against.
---
Venusaur (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 252 HP/6 SAtk/252 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Roar
- Leaf Storm
- Sludge Bomb
Venusaur acts as my special wall/answer to SubCM raikou. In that respect venusaur comes in on raikou as he subs/CMs and then roars him away. The sub damage + SR should weaken him enough to kill later. Sleep powder offers me some status support and can result in more switching or a free switch for me. Roar is for Phazing stat-uppers and leaf storm and sludge bomb are dual special STAB moves. I was thinking about changing these STAB moves to a physical set of power whip and earthquake, but I didn't want to upset the special/physical attack balance if got. Venusaur has reasonable synergy with slowbro taking grass and electric special attacks aimed at slowbro. I did recently have trouble with a SD venusaur which none of my walls could stand up against. Any suggestions on a compromise to solve this?
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Slowbro (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/6 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Slack Off
- Psychic
- Surf
- Thunder Wave
Is there a better more reliable physical wall than slowbro? Well I don't think so. It's a standard set with dual STAB moves, slack off for instant healing which is a must and he also comes with T-wave support because my team is a little on the slow side, plus it doesn't hurt to throw some status around. Slowbro covers types like physical fighting attacks aimed at kabutops or any other poke on the team that doesn't like to take a STAB close combat in the face. Apart from that he is the only poke on the team that is remotely physically bulky and I find myself relying to heavily on him to take all physical hits when threatened.
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Hitmontop (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/6 Def
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Fake Out
- Mach Punch
- Revenge [Sucker Punch]
- Stone Edge
I had trouble picking a physical attacker but hitmontop comes with technician priority attacks that I just couldn't pass up. Arcanine was another tempting choice, but he is weak to stealth rock and if kabutops is dead (more than likely) he would take a hefty bit of damage switching in, whereas hitmontop resists SR. Fake out and mach punch are handy priority attacks to open up with allowing hitmontop to gain some free damage with fake out. Revenge I felt was better than close combat because I'm not a fan of the defence drops on hitmontops impressive 50/95/110 defensive stats and it allows me to take advantage of hitmontops rather middling 70 base speed. Stone edge has come in handy more than once and can take down most flyers that switch in.
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Gallade (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Shadow Sneak
- Ice Punch
- Leaf Blade
I like to keep gallade a secret for as long as possible, but he usually finds himself showing his face about mid game. Expert belt feigns a CB and I like to pretend it's a CB for as long as possible by switching out after using one move, unless of course its just too damn tempting to take something down. CC gives him incredible STAB power, plus shadow sneak gives unresisted coverage + priority to pick of weaker pokes. Ice punch can take down grass and flyers as well as altaria. Leaf blade allows coverage of water types like milotic and slowbro. Altogether a mean piece of beef, but would it be worth changing his nature to jolly? I've run into quite a few venusaurs that have out sped me and wondered if it was worth sacrificing some power to get a speed tie?
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Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 70 HP/252 Spd/116 SAtk/72 SDef [6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk]
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute [Shadow Ball]
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice] [Hidden Power [Fighting]]
My late game sweeper, but to be honest he hasn't seen much action and I'm thinking of replacing him with another special attacker, but who?? This is the standard defensive CM set, which I set-up a sub and calm mind until I need to sub again or im ready to sweep. T-bolt is his main attack gaining STAB power and HP ice is for coverage, but I may change it to HP grass. Any thought on that?
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