cityscapes
Take care of yourself.
Hello and welcome to my last RMT before Generation VII. It's the team that's made me the most proud in any metagame, simply because it's performed so well, and it just feels like my team.
It's a habit of mine to do this for every tier: find some Pokémon in there that I like, build a loose team around them, and make it to around 1400 before losing consistently and having to make change after change.
For this team, however, I was able to make it this far while only replacing a few moves, and no Pokémon. Of course, there is still room for improvement (that's why I'm here). In this instance, though, it looks like I've made a pretty good team from scratch.
This ties in to the title of my RMT and my advice for players looking into a new tier: you don't need to start out with a sample team or anything. It will work, sure, but making your own team is simply more fun-- after a win, you're proud of the team, and after a loss, you can look at how to improve it, because you know you can improve it.
My advice is bad-- obviously, using sample teams will help you learn the meta more easily, letting you build more effective teams on your own-- so you don't have to follow it. If you take away anything from this, it's that you should go into every new tier with an open mind and a happy outlook.
Thank you.
I was looking through the AG VR, and I noticed a lot of fast, frail Psychic types, such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Deoxys-Attack (who tend not to run max speed). Darkrai was another prominent Pokémon there, and a couple of calcs told me that even an uninvested Life Orb Bug Buzz had a good chance to OHKO. The reason I used Accelgor was because of its access to Encore, allowing it to shut down lots of setup sweepers, such as Calm Mind Arceus formes.
Accelgor, with its bad defenses, is weak to priority users. Since the most pervasive form of priority in AG is Extreme Speed, I decided to add a Giratina-O to switch in; it also served as a counter to Primal Groudon. According to the thread, Clefable made an ideal defensive partner for Giratina, so I placed it in my team as well.
My team was weak to stuff like Aegislash, which could use Gyro Ball and deal lots of damage, and other physical Steel-types. It also had no hazard removal, which was bad for Accelgor. To fix this, I added a supportive Arceus-Steel, making my own set for it because I was too lazy to check the thread, and it worked pretty well.
My Mega slot was free at this point, so lacking a SwagKeys counter, I decided to use Mega Diancie. Its helpful typing resists Extreme Speed, allowing it to beat a Rayquaza that hasn't Mega Evolved yet.
At this point, my team had good balance, but it didn't have the power to beat opponents like Primal Kyogre. To fix this, I added Choice Band Ho-Oh: It can take its share of hits and deal tons of damage in return. Later, I realized that it synergizes very well with Arceus-Steel, the two being weak to only Primal Groudon carrying Rock-type moves.
The Team
Accelgor @ Life Orb
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 164 HP / 128 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
-Bug Buzz
-U-Turn
-Final Gambit
-Encore
The goal of this set is to come in on a boosting Pokémon, such as CM Arceus, or a Darkrai that has just used Dark Void (you can switch in on a Dark Pulse) and proceed to attack the opponent or use Encore. U-Turn is to gain momentum and chip damage after using Encore, while Final Gambit helps wear down an opposing Pokémon and should be used quickly against opposing teams that match up well against Accelgor, such as Arceus spam. The HP EVs allow Accelgor to OHKO 4 HP base 100s, such as Primal Groudon, with Final Gambit; the Speed EVs outspeed 252 Spe Deoxys-Attack with a neutral nature. Everything else is invested in SpA to help Accelgor easily defeat foes such as Whimsicott.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
-Wish
-Protect
-Heal Bell
-Moonblast
This is my GeoXern/Ekiller counter: it takes 40% from Moonblast, and it beats Ekillers not holding a Life Orb, except when it gets critted
Giratina @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Def / 244 SpA / 12 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
-Draco Meteor
-Thunder Wave
-Roar
-Pain Split
This thing has helped me in so many games. Draco Meteor does about 60% minimum to Primal Groudon, and even then it's probably running a defensive spread and can't hit you back. Thunder Wave is great for Primal Kyogre and Fairies that try to switch in. Roar was originally Dragon Tail, but I decided to change it as a countermeasure to Baton Pass. Pain Split helps it check things throughout the game, but I haven't found it very helpful, and I might decide to change it back to Hex.
Arceus @ Iron Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Calm Nature (+SpD, -Atk)
-Recover
-Will-O-Wisp
-Defog
-Judgment
A great mixed wall. You just burn everything with Will-O-Wisp and then start getting chip damage off with Judgment. Although it baits in Primal Groudon and Kyogre, this thing has nonetheless been very helpful for my team. Defog helps keep Ho-Oh alive, while Recover helps it come in consistently.
Diancie @ Diancite
Ability: Clear Body-->Magic Bounce
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
-Moonblast
-Earth Power
-Protect
-Stealth Rock
My team didn't have a Stealth Rock setter, so I decided to make it Mega Diancie. I don't actually miss Diamond Storm that much, surprisingly, because more often than not its few targets will switch out anyway while I use Stealth Rock. Having rocks on a more offensive mon that can force out so much is great against stall teams. Everything else on the set, of course, is standard.
Ho-Oh @ Choice Band
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Atk / 8 SpD / 100 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Brave Bird
-Sacred Fire
-Earthquake
-Sleep Talk
Spam: the Pokémon. Sacred Fire is so easy to use on everything, with Brave Bird coming in a close second. Earthquake and Sleep Talk are more situational, but they definitely have their uses. Originally, I ran Thunder Wave in the last slot, but it didn't really... do damage, going against the point of the set. The Speed EVs outspeed Mega Rayquaza that just used V-Create, and the bulk helps it live something that I forgot. Although it doesn't have quite as much Attack as standard CB sets, it still definitely packs a punch.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-448142575
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461910733
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461915872 If you watch any replays, watch this one
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461920615
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461924432
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461930302
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461910733
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461915872 If you watch any replays, watch this one
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461920615
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461924432
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/anythinggoes-461930302
Threatlist:
Accelgor @ Life Orb
Ability: Sticky Hold
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 164 HP / 128 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
- Final Gambit
- Bug Buzz
- U-turn
- Encore
Giratina-Origin @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Def / 244 SpA / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Thunder Wave
- Roar
- Pain Split
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Heal Bell
- Protect
- Moonblast
Arceus-Steel @ Iron Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Judgment
Diancie-Mega @ Diancite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Earth Power
- Protect
Ability: Sticky Hold
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 164 HP / 128 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
- Final Gambit
- Bug Buzz
- U-turn
- Encore
Giratina-Origin @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Def / 244 SpA / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Thunder Wave
- Roar
- Pain Split
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Heal Bell
- Protect
- Moonblast
Arceus-Steel @ Iron Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Judgment
Diancie-Mega @ Diancite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Earth Power
- Protect
Anyway, that's my team! I would really appreciate if you rated it, but if you don't, that's OK too. See you in Gen 7!