Current Team:
A rundown of pokemon and strategies:
Weazel (Weavile) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Taunt
- Night Slash
- Ice Punch
- Swords Dance
Strategy:
This team is pretty weak to Stealth Rock, and after trying multiple times, rapid spinners don't fit in very well, so I need to prevent Stealth Rock rather than eliminate it. A fast Taunter is the only requirement for my lead, and Weavile is as fast as they come. After many games with Fake Out not helping at all, I switched it up and pulled Swords Dance. My very first game with it, I taunted a Swampert's Stealth Rock, then Swords Danced as he Ice Beamed, and he ragequit. After two moves. It was sweet. The Dance also allows me to bring in Weavile as a late-game sweeper, and other lead-type moves aren't really needed much, as I try to pull out Mamoswine pretty early on anyways.
Wooly (Mamoswine) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
Strategy:
If possible, Wooly makes a good switch-in from Weazel. Stealth Rock is great, huge physical power is sweet, both her STABs are great, and she makes a perfect switch-in to electric moves, something I otherwise have trouble with. She fills whatever offensive role I need her to.
Tantar (Tyranitar (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
Jolly nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
Strategy:
Tyranitar is my Pursuit user, Psychic absorber, and Scarfer. After experimenting with the Choice Band set, which couldn't really kill anything, I pulled the Scarf set out. It's very useful for killing frail Psychic and Ghost types, provided I can predict whether they'll switch or Burn or Focus Blast me or whatever. Crunch will usually kill Rotom-As and Gengars when they think I'm going to Pursuit. Sand Stream is as annoying for me as it is for my enemy, though, so I'm still a little iffy with Tantar.
Poli High (Poliwrath) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Waterfall
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Hypnosis
Strategy:
My only non-OU monster, the hypnotic tadpole was originally placed on the team to counter Vaporeon, using Water Absorb to stop it in its tracks, followed by a Substitute when it switches, and at least one STAB Focus Punch to their counter. I quickly discovered he was my best bet for dealing with Scizor, too: he resists both STAB attacks and can Substitute out of Superpower, if the enemy has it, until Scizor's lost too much Attack to do much. Two or three neutral Focus Punches usually kill it, or it runs away. Poliwrath has other merits, too. Great typing lets him switch in easily on Rock, Bug, Fire, and many other types and proceed to SubPunch the hell out of the enemy team. Water Absorb can refill his health when the enemy tries to hit Tyranitar or Mamoswine with a super effective attack, and a Hypnosis once in a while - mostly either when it's my only chance or when I have enough time to try multiple times, since the accuracy sucks.
Stark (Starmie) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spe / 252 SpA
Modest nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic
- Trick
Strategy:
Giving a much-needed fighting resist as well as a backup steel resist, Starmie eventually settled into the fifth slot, which was cycling between Steels for a long time before that. As my only special attacker, Starmie pulls its weight with my only Electric and Psychic attacks, the ever-useful Trick, and a nice STAB Surf. I considered Rapid Spinning for a while, but on a Choice set, it wasn't worth the effort.
Saldro (Salamence) (F) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 236 HP / 64 Atk / 92 Spe / 116 SpD
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Roost
- Earthquake
Strategy:
My sweeper comes in on one of her resists, sets up DD on the switch, hits some tough guy with Outrage and then gets hit back with a wimpy Ice Beam, but due to the EVs, doesn't die and finishes them off, leaving the enemy team without an ice attack to slow her down and Roost to keep her health on track. Every once in a while I'll come across a better Ice user or even multiples, but Poliwrath and Tyranitar usually handle them pretty well. A possibility, giving much more cold survival: Careful nature (+SpD, -SpA) with redistributed EVs.
This team has gone through way more testing than I'm used to and has been working well for me. Looking for advice, thank you!
