Gen 3 ADV Standard(ish) Team

[AraShaun]

Thanks to meteor64 for acting as my mentor of sorts, I'd like to present a new team I created, and hopefully gain insights on how to improve.

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]

BPZapdos here to start things off. Zappy deals with bulky waters that may otherwise plague my Metagross later on. HP Ice deals with Dugtrio on the switch and the occasional Celebi, as well as being able to deal with Ground types that otherwise cause a problem.

Metagross @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 160 HP / 252 Atk / 96 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Meteor Mash
Star of my team, plan is to get an Agility boost somewhere (Either through prediction or a free turn from a SubPass), at which point it outspeeds most things (Even max Speed Jolly Dugtrio) and can sweep.

Celebi @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Leech Seed
- Psychic
- Recover
Defensive Option, Plan is to stall out things like Snorlax and Blissey, and CMPsychic things to death if it gets to that point.

Porygon2 @ Leftovers
Trait: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Def / 108 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
Acts as another check to Dugtrio and to a lesser extent Magneton, also serves to beat CM Teams that I otherwise have trouble with.

Magneton @ Leftovers
Trait: Magnet Pull
EVs: 68 HP / 252 SAtk / 188 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Substitute
- Thunder Wave
Removes Skarmory, HP for Forretress, thats all.

Gengar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 172 HP / 148 SAtk / 188 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Punch
- Will-o-Wisp
- Giga Drain
Finally Gengar to deal with Bulky Waters and act as my coverage, Explosion to surprise things, thats basically it.

Thanks to anyone who gives advice, any is greatly appreciated.

 

[Jorgen]

Timid Explosion Gengar? With no Dugtrio to boot? That ain't gonna work out too well for you all that often. I'd probably use that slot for status or something, or at the very least invest more in Attack.

 

[AraShaun]

Timid Explosion Gengar? With no Dugtrio to boot? That ain't gonna work out too well for you all that often. I'd probably use that slot for status or something, or at the very least invest more in Attack.

Yeah I realised this mistake after posting XD I've changed Explosion to Will-o-Wisp now, Ill update it now

 

[meteor64]

I wouldn't say I mentored you... you asked for a few tips, so I gave them. If you want full on help find me on the server.

At any rate I think you misunderstand the roles of your pokes somewhat- Porygon2 cannot reliably check Magneton ever, even weird HP Fire P2s lose to it. Also no-one really switches Dugtrio into Zapdos. Gengar and Zapdos do not check bulky Waters, especially with Zapdos' slightly unbulky spread. Your best poke to do that is Celebi.

Even then though, offensive variants of cune plough through your team like a hungry lizard through a bucket of worms. Speaking of lizards, what can you possibly throw at DDtar? Thunder Wave/WoW is nice, but it doesnt stop him and ultimately the only thing that can hit him hard is Metagross, who dies to +1 EQ. Standard Pursuit variants are even worse, you have actual nothing that can take attacks from that. Additional problems extend to any Fire Punch rachi, Houndoom, Superbi, Bandmence (with Brick Break mostly), Bandtar, Raikou, and Metagross.

P2 EVs are wrong, the spread listed on site is pretty archaic and doesn't represent anything it would be used for in todays game. It needs Bold with heavy Def investment. Timid Leech Seed Cele doesn't feel right to me, what does it get from Timid that it wouldn't get from Bold? It doesn't need to outspeed Mence or Flygon here, you have a P2, and Leech Seed Cele is designed to outstall Lax which it surely needs its Def for.

I thin the core of the team is fine, Zapdos and Meta have great synergy and I can even see a good justification in not running boom here- yet I dont see what Gengar accomplishes here- you have no Spikes to defend, and hes not doing anything special except taking Megahorns, really. You'd be better off with your own Heracross, I believe- an additional threatening poke to hammer at defenses, get revenged by Dugtrio (so you have another method to get P2 in) and draw in Skarm. Of course that doesn't solve all those numerous problems presented by those mons I mentioned earlier, but a Dugtrio of your own over Celebi seems like an easy fix for most of those.