A Draconian Choice
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Introduction
After playing exclusively Hyper Offense teams for the majority of my competitive career (with the exception of my terrible, terrible Chansey obsession when I first began... *shudder*), I decided now would be a good time to take a gander back into the realms of bulky offense/balance. I really liked the idea of Choice Scarf Garchomp, so I decided to start there. From there, I wanted to add a really strong wallbreaker, to soften up the opposing team, which is where my second dragon came in. I gave Kyurem-B a Choice Band, and off I went with my two awesome pet dragons with fabulous accessories.
The Team
Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
The team all begins here. Garchomp provides the majority of my physical offensive power on the team. Dual Dragon STAB provides flexibility so that Garchomp can be useful throughout the game. Depending on the opponent's team, it can use Dragon Claw in order to preserve its ability to switch out, or go for a riskier kill with Outrage. Earthquake provides a STAB to hit Steel and Fairy types that wall its Dragon STAB, while Stone Edge hits flying types that would wall Chomp otherwise.
Kyurem-B @ Choice Specs
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpAtk / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power Fire
Whoa, whoa. What is this??? I'm a big fat liar! I said in the introduction that Kyurem-B had a Choice Band, and here it is sporting Specs with a fully special moveset! What?? I found that a special set allowed Kyurem to handle Dragon checks a little bit better, because the physical set couldn't quite handle the Garchomp checks it was supposed to handle. Additionally, the team struggled with Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Scizor, and Kyurem's HP Fire provides a somewhat reasonable check to those. Draco Meteor nukes stuff really really hard, Ice Beam provides more consistent coverage, and Earth Power hits Steel types and lets Kyurem-B check Electrics.
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal (Technician)
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-Turn
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Defog
Now, at this point my team needed some nice checks to some stuff (as most teams do when they only have 2 mons) and Scizor was the perfect mon to do it. With its wonderful typing and maximum physical investment, Scizor can check threats like Azumarill (CB Waterfall can't 2HKO) and Weavile (especially with Light Metal pre-mega to switch in on Low Kicks). U-Turn provides a slow switch into whatever I want, Bullet Punch can sort of check faster offensive pokemon (although it hits like a wet noodle), Roost helps Scizor continue to rein in the things it's supposed to check, instead of getting worn down. Defog is my only hazard removal, and it helps the rest of my team avoid getting worn down (especially Rotom-W and Kyurem-B, both of whom lack recovery). Scizor provides consistent and effective support for my team, as long as I watch out for random HP Fires and Flamethrowers.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpAtk / 252 SpDef
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Flamethrower
- Wish
- Heal Bell
And speaking of random Flamethrowers, here's one right now! Clefable is the team's cleric, and completes the Dragon-Fairy-Steel (or Dragon-Dragon-Fairy-Steel) core. Clefable provides my primary switch-in to status moves, as Magic Guard makes it immune to passive damage. If any pesky burns or poisons sneak onto my other pokemon, though, I've got a sneaky solution in Heal Bell to keep them healthy. Wish is necessary to heal all of my team, rather than just Clefable, but there have been times when Clef didn't quite have the bulk to wait a turn for healing, and I wished I had Soft-boiled instead. However, the Wish support is invaluable for allowing Rotom-W and Kyurem-B to continually switch in. Flamethrower provides a way to deal with pesky Steel types like Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Scizor, which my team struggles with. Clefable isn't ridiculously amazing, but it gets the job done.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpDef / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-o-Wisp
- Pain Split
Ah, Rotom-Wash. I don't know why, but I had a strange aversion to using you for the longest time. I never put Rotom-W on a team until I needed a sand check on a Hoopa-U team a few weeks ago (rip Hoopa-U) an d it worked wonders. Here, I had a similar situation- I needed a sand check and had a strong wall-breaker to pivot into. Rotom-W strikes again! Rotom is unique among Electric types in its ability to handle Ground types with Levitate and Hydro Pump, allowing it to click Volt Switch freely without fearing a loss in momentum. Will-o-Wisp scares out physical attackers, leaving me free to invest more in SpDef, but between Amoonguss and Clefable, I'm not sure that SpDef is the way to go. Pain Split is the only form of recovery Rotom-W has, so I guess it's what I'm stuck with.
Amoonguss @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpDef / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Clear Smog
- Foul Play
After Gengar left the team, I needed a Keldeo check with actual real defensive synergy. Enter the shroom! AV Amoonguss may seem strange, and it is, since one of Amoonguss's main niches is Spore, but it functions surprisingly well on my team. AV with maximum investment allows Amoonguss to take even super effective special hits without a problem, and Foul Play punishes the physical attackers that try to get a free switch. Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb are obligatory STABs, since Amoonguss doesn't have many options offensively, and Clear Smog has saved my butt against many a set-up sweeper (a ton of CM Clefable, and even a few greedy Zard-Xs).
Threats
Introduction
After playing exclusively Hyper Offense teams for the majority of my competitive career (with the exception of my terrible, terrible Chansey obsession when I first began... *shudder*), I decided now would be a good time to take a gander back into the realms of bulky offense/balance. I really liked the idea of Choice Scarf Garchomp, so I decided to start there. From there, I wanted to add a really strong wallbreaker, to soften up the opposing team, which is where my second dragon came in. I gave Kyurem-B a Choice Band, and off I went with my two awesome pet dragons with fabulous accessories.
Teambuilding Process
The team started off with just an idea- use Scarfchomp, an interesting lure and strong late-game cleaner- on a balance or bulky offense team.
Once I had my first pokemon established, I decided to use a wallbreaker to soften up the opposing team. Kyurem-B happens to be a very strong wallbreaker who happens to have coverage to handle Fairy types (Iron Head) that often plague Garchomp.
Once I had these two strong Dragon-types, I needed something to cover their weaknesses. Bulky Defog M-Scizor can switch in on Dragon, Ice, Fairy, and Steel type moves, fearing only Fire types, which can be handled by Garchomp. Scizor provides excellent support for Kyurem-B as well, since it can Defog away hazards before providing a slow U-turn to give Kyurem-B a free switch in.
Since I had stacked a weakness to Dragon, and still had an unresisted Fighting weakness and no Dark resistance, it seemed like a Fairy type would be a strong addition to the team. In addition to completing the Dragon-Fairy-Steel core, Clefable provided a switch-in to status, especially Will-o-wisp, which gave my team fits so far. Between Heal Bell and Flamethrower to help against Steel types, Clefable provided invaluable support to my team.
At this point, my team had a fairly strong offensive presence and defensive backbone, but it still lacked a true check for the fire types that challenge Scizor, and a check to Sand offense (which is a thing that it really, really needs). Thus, I looked to one of my favorite mons to use, Rotom-W. With the ability to cripple physical attackers through Will-o-Wisp, keep up momentum with Volt Switch, and threaten Ground types with Levitate and Hydro Pump, Rotom-W is a phenomenal glue mon that I really enjoy using.
Looking at my team so far, I wasn't quite comfortable with its complete lack of threatening special attackers. It had Clefable and Rotom-W, but nothing that could truly pressure opposing mons. Thus, I tried out Gengar, but I didn't really like it's lack of synergy with the rest of the squad.
Presented with a 'complete' squad, I realized I was painfully weak to Keldeo, and special attackers in general. I decided to try something out, and it's probably gimmicky and not good, but it's worked for me. Enter AV Amoonguss. It provides a nice pivot and general check to special attackers, at the very least.
The team started off with just an idea- use Scarfchomp, an interesting lure and strong late-game cleaner- on a balance or bulky offense team.
Once I had my first pokemon established, I decided to use a wallbreaker to soften up the opposing team. Kyurem-B happens to be a very strong wallbreaker who happens to have coverage to handle Fairy types (Iron Head) that often plague Garchomp.
Once I had these two strong Dragon-types, I needed something to cover their weaknesses. Bulky Defog M-Scizor can switch in on Dragon, Ice, Fairy, and Steel type moves, fearing only Fire types, which can be handled by Garchomp. Scizor provides excellent support for Kyurem-B as well, since it can Defog away hazards before providing a slow U-turn to give Kyurem-B a free switch in.
Since I had stacked a weakness to Dragon, and still had an unresisted Fighting weakness and no Dark resistance, it seemed like a Fairy type would be a strong addition to the team. In addition to completing the Dragon-Fairy-Steel core, Clefable provided a switch-in to status, especially Will-o-wisp, which gave my team fits so far. Between Heal Bell and Flamethrower to help against Steel types, Clefable provided invaluable support to my team.
At this point, my team had a fairly strong offensive presence and defensive backbone, but it still lacked a true check for the fire types that challenge Scizor, and a check to Sand offense (which is a thing that it really, really needs). Thus, I looked to one of my favorite mons to use, Rotom-W. With the ability to cripple physical attackers through Will-o-Wisp, keep up momentum with Volt Switch, and threaten Ground types with Levitate and Hydro Pump, Rotom-W is a phenomenal glue mon that I really enjoy using.
Looking at my team so far, I wasn't quite comfortable with its complete lack of threatening special attackers. It had Clefable and Rotom-W, but nothing that could truly pressure opposing mons. Thus, I tried out Gengar, but I didn't really like it's lack of synergy with the rest of the squad.
Presented with a 'complete' squad, I realized I was painfully weak to Keldeo, and special attackers in general. I decided to try something out, and it's probably gimmicky and not good, but it's worked for me. Enter AV Amoonguss. It provides a nice pivot and general check to special attackers, at the very least.
The Team
Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
The team all begins here. Garchomp provides the majority of my physical offensive power on the team. Dual Dragon STAB provides flexibility so that Garchomp can be useful throughout the game. Depending on the opponent's team, it can use Dragon Claw in order to preserve its ability to switch out, or go for a riskier kill with Outrage. Earthquake provides a STAB to hit Steel and Fairy types that wall its Dragon STAB, while Stone Edge hits flying types that would wall Chomp otherwise.
Kyurem-B @ Choice Specs
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpAtk / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power Fire
Whoa, whoa. What is this??? I'm a big fat liar! I said in the introduction that Kyurem-B had a Choice Band, and here it is sporting Specs with a fully special moveset! What?? I found that a special set allowed Kyurem to handle Dragon checks a little bit better, because the physical set couldn't quite handle the Garchomp checks it was supposed to handle. Additionally, the team struggled with Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Scizor, and Kyurem's HP Fire provides a somewhat reasonable check to those. Draco Meteor nukes stuff really really hard, Ice Beam provides more consistent coverage, and Earth Power hits Steel types and lets Kyurem-B check Electrics.
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal (Technician)
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-Turn
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Defog
Now, at this point my team needed some nice checks to some stuff (as most teams do when they only have 2 mons) and Scizor was the perfect mon to do it. With its wonderful typing and maximum physical investment, Scizor can check threats like Azumarill (CB Waterfall can't 2HKO) and Weavile (especially with Light Metal pre-mega to switch in on Low Kicks). U-Turn provides a slow switch into whatever I want, Bullet Punch can sort of check faster offensive pokemon (although it hits like a wet noodle), Roost helps Scizor continue to rein in the things it's supposed to check, instead of getting worn down. Defog is my only hazard removal, and it helps the rest of my team avoid getting worn down (especially Rotom-W and Kyurem-B, both of whom lack recovery). Scizor provides consistent and effective support for my team, as long as I watch out for random HP Fires and Flamethrowers.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpAtk / 252 SpDef
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Flamethrower
- Wish
- Heal Bell
And speaking of random Flamethrowers, here's one right now! Clefable is the team's cleric, and completes the Dragon-Fairy-Steel (or Dragon-Dragon-Fairy-Steel) core. Clefable provides my primary switch-in to status moves, as Magic Guard makes it immune to passive damage. If any pesky burns or poisons sneak onto my other pokemon, though, I've got a sneaky solution in Heal Bell to keep them healthy. Wish is necessary to heal all of my team, rather than just Clefable, but there have been times when Clef didn't quite have the bulk to wait a turn for healing, and I wished I had Soft-boiled instead. However, the Wish support is invaluable for allowing Rotom-W and Kyurem-B to continually switch in. Flamethrower provides a way to deal with pesky Steel types like Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Scizor, which my team struggles with. Clefable isn't ridiculously amazing, but it gets the job done.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpDef / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-o-Wisp
- Pain Split
Ah, Rotom-Wash. I don't know why, but I had a strange aversion to using you for the longest time. I never put Rotom-W on a team until I needed a sand check on a Hoopa-U team a few weeks ago (rip Hoopa-U) an d it worked wonders. Here, I had a similar situation- I needed a sand check and had a strong wall-breaker to pivot into. Rotom-W strikes again! Rotom is unique among Electric types in its ability to handle Ground types with Levitate and Hydro Pump, allowing it to click Volt Switch freely without fearing a loss in momentum. Will-o-Wisp scares out physical attackers, leaving me free to invest more in SpDef, but between Amoonguss and Clefable, I'm not sure that SpDef is the way to go. Pain Split is the only form of recovery Rotom-W has, so I guess it's what I'm stuck with.
Amoonguss @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpDef / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Clear Smog
- Foul Play
After Gengar left the team, I needed a Keldeo check with actual real defensive synergy. Enter the shroom! AV Amoonguss may seem strange, and it is, since one of Amoonguss's main niches is Spore, but it functions surprisingly well on my team. AV with maximum investment allows Amoonguss to take even super effective special hits without a problem, and Foul Play punishes the physical attackers that try to get a free switch. Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb are obligatory STABs, since Amoonguss doesn't have many options offensively, and Clear Smog has saved my butt against many a set-up sweeper (a ton of CM Clefable, and even a few greedy Zard-Xs).
Threats
I'm sure there are more but I can't think of them right now.
Conclusion
I really had a tough time getting back out of the Hyper Offensive mentality, and I'm not sure if I strayed too far away from my comfort zone. It's definitely a totally different experience. I'm open to changing pokemon out completely if you think that's what's best for the team, but if possible I'd like to preserve the idea of having two dragons (they don't even have to be the same ones).
Right now, I'm thinking about making Rotom physically defensive instead of specially, and trying out AV Tangrowth in the place of Amoonguss, just so I can have Knock Off on the team, but both of those came to me as I wrote this so I haven't tested them yet.
The team is actually pretty fun to play with, and I'm really excited to see what a better builder can do with it!
Thanks in advance!
