INTRODUCTION
Hi there! This is my first post and I wanted to share the team I’ve been laddering with. I’ve peaked at 1780 more or less and I feel as I get easily checked already and I was wondering if I could make some changes which would help me continue on climbing the ladder. I appreciate your help beforehand, and now let’s get to the team.
THE TEAM
Nox (Toxapex) (F) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Tera Blast
There’s no getting around the tanking potential of this fella. By running AV I can bait Taunts and such other stuff people tend to do against the usual support Pex. This spread allows it to OHKO Kingambit with Fighting Tera Blast, survive the oncoming Moonblast from Iron Valiant (it even withstands a Specs Moonblast from full HP) and revenge kill it with a Sludge Bomb. It easily sponges special attackers such as Walking Wake, Dragapult, Hydreigon and such. Thanks to regenerator you can pivot around to check threats for the rest of the team.
F18 (Dragapult) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Infiltrator
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Darts
- Sucker Punch
- U-turn
- Psychic Fangs
Dragapult keeps on being a reliable breaker/sweeper this gen, and as now that Chien Pao is no longer around there’s no mon naturally faster than Adamant Pult, I chose to run it CB Adamant in order to dish out the highest damage output posible. CB instead of CS or Will + Hex set allows you to surprise the usual special walls, such as Clodsire, which tend to be sent out against Pult to check the special sets. DD as the prime offensive move for Pult, Sucker Punch to check scarfers and other Dragapults, U turn to pivot around and keep momentum and Psychic Fangs to surprise Clod, Pex and Iron Valiants who are sent out for the Dragon immunity. Tera Fairy allows it to stay in on dragons and resist the menacing Sucker Punch and Kowtow Cleave from Kingambit in the late game.
Elon Tusk (Great Tusk) @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
There‘s not much to say about this mon at this point in time. Landorus -T’s cousin does everything you want him to do. I run the standard defensive set, max HP and DEF, Earthquake as the main offensive move, Knock Off over Body Press to take out recovery items from tanks that otherwise are a bit hard to break through and to punish the Ghost switch-ins that come out on Rapid Spin, such as Pult and Gholdengo. Rapid Spin to clear Hazards and Stealth Rock as it is the only setter on the team. Checks physical threats efficiently, specially Kingambit, and Tera Grass allows it to resist Water and Grass moves in a pinch, although I almost never Tera this mon, as the outcome is not usually worth sacrificing the Tera on other mon.
Xerxes (Kingambit) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
This mon is cheap as hell. Wait for everyone to die, Swords Dance up and reverse sweep. That’s all there is to it. I run the standard set of Kowtow Cleave, Sucker Punch and Iron Head. 8 Speed EVs to outspeed other Kingambits and the rest in HP and Attack, to make a good use of Leftovers and hit like a truck. Tera Fire allows it not to get burned via Will-O-Wisp or Flame Body and to resist a baited Armor Cannon from Armarouge, who is an incredible threat to this team.
Barbie (Iron Valiant) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Aura Sphere
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
Iron Valiant is the special sweeper of the team. I ran CS over Booster Energy + Calm Mind as I find it too squishy to set up almost in front of anything, and the Specs set allows it to break throught the tougher nuts and chip away more HP from the enemy team, allowing Kingambit to clean up in the late game. Moonblast as the main damaging move, Aura Sphere to destroy Kingambit and Garganacl, Thunderbolt for Corviknight and Shadow Ball for the common Gholdengo check on Moonblast and to chip Clodsire if it comes in. It is outpowered by another Iron Valiant carrying a Booster Energy, but Pex is the man for the job in that scenario. Tera Steel comes in clutch when facing another Iron Valiant when Pex is not in good HP to come in (or fainted), and to resist Gholdengo’s Make It Rain and Kingambit’s Iron Head, as well as Psychic and Posion moves.
Tahm Kench (Dondozo) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Unaware
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Liquidation
- Body Press
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Last but not least, we have the Dozo. Absolute physical wall. Ultimate anti Setup-Sweepers. Incredible fishy boi. Roaring Moon who? This guy is the physical wall of the team. Rocky Helmet helps chip away the U-turners, the Spinners and overall physical attackers. Rest + Sleep Talk keeps it healthy, and allows it to come in on Amoonguss’ or Breeloom’s Spore, preventing other teammates from falling asleep later in the game. Max HP and DEF for the most bulk. Liquidation over Wave Crash to avoid recoil damage as I don’t run it with Leftovers. Body Press helps deal with Kingambit, Roaring Moon and Baxcalibur.
THREATS
Armarouge & Co. are an enormous threat to this team. That match-up almost always results in Terastallizing Kingambit on Armor Cannon and still losing 1/3 of the HP, then being unable to Sucker Punch due to the Psychic terrain. Hatterene with Eject Button prevents Pult from U-Turning on it. This comp overall really punishes the team.
Garganacl is just disgusting. It doesn’t counter the team per se, but it is really annoying and must be played around carefully. Salt cure prevent Dondozo and Kingambit from coming in on it, and Iron Valiant can OHKO it as it usually runs the SPDEF set.
TEAM IMPORTABLE AND CONCLUSION
https://pokepast.es/bb92b48fe9dd92ba
Thanks a lot to all of you who read this post and comment. If you have any insight on how to improve the team I’d really appreciate it. Have a nice day!
Hi there! This is my first post and I wanted to share the team I’ve been laddering with. I’ve peaked at 1780 more or less and I feel as I get easily checked already and I was wondering if I could make some changes which would help me continue on climbing the ladder. I appreciate your help beforehand, and now let’s get to the team.
THE TEAM
Nox (Toxapex) (F) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Tera Blast
There’s no getting around the tanking potential of this fella. By running AV I can bait Taunts and such other stuff people tend to do against the usual support Pex. This spread allows it to OHKO Kingambit with Fighting Tera Blast, survive the oncoming Moonblast from Iron Valiant (it even withstands a Specs Moonblast from full HP) and revenge kill it with a Sludge Bomb. It easily sponges special attackers such as Walking Wake, Dragapult, Hydreigon and such. Thanks to regenerator you can pivot around to check threats for the rest of the team.
F18 (Dragapult) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Infiltrator
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Darts
- Sucker Punch
- U-turn
- Psychic Fangs
Dragapult keeps on being a reliable breaker/sweeper this gen, and as now that Chien Pao is no longer around there’s no mon naturally faster than Adamant Pult, I chose to run it CB Adamant in order to dish out the highest damage output posible. CB instead of CS or Will + Hex set allows you to surprise the usual special walls, such as Clodsire, which tend to be sent out against Pult to check the special sets. DD as the prime offensive move for Pult, Sucker Punch to check scarfers and other Dragapults, U turn to pivot around and keep momentum and Psychic Fangs to surprise Clod, Pex and Iron Valiants who are sent out for the Dragon immunity. Tera Fairy allows it to stay in on dragons and resist the menacing Sucker Punch and Kowtow Cleave from Kingambit in the late game.
Elon Tusk (Great Tusk) @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
There‘s not much to say about this mon at this point in time. Landorus -T’s cousin does everything you want him to do. I run the standard defensive set, max HP and DEF, Earthquake as the main offensive move, Knock Off over Body Press to take out recovery items from tanks that otherwise are a bit hard to break through and to punish the Ghost switch-ins that come out on Rapid Spin, such as Pult and Gholdengo. Rapid Spin to clear Hazards and Stealth Rock as it is the only setter on the team. Checks physical threats efficiently, specially Kingambit, and Tera Grass allows it to resist Water and Grass moves in a pinch, although I almost never Tera this mon, as the outcome is not usually worth sacrificing the Tera on other mon.
Xerxes (Kingambit) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
This mon is cheap as hell. Wait for everyone to die, Swords Dance up and reverse sweep. That’s all there is to it. I run the standard set of Kowtow Cleave, Sucker Punch and Iron Head. 8 Speed EVs to outspeed other Kingambits and the rest in HP and Attack, to make a good use of Leftovers and hit like a truck. Tera Fire allows it not to get burned via Will-O-Wisp or Flame Body and to resist a baited Armor Cannon from Armarouge, who is an incredible threat to this team.
Barbie (Iron Valiant) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Aura Sphere
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
Iron Valiant is the special sweeper of the team. I ran CS over Booster Energy + Calm Mind as I find it too squishy to set up almost in front of anything, and the Specs set allows it to break throught the tougher nuts and chip away more HP from the enemy team, allowing Kingambit to clean up in the late game. Moonblast as the main damaging move, Aura Sphere to destroy Kingambit and Garganacl, Thunderbolt for Corviknight and Shadow Ball for the common Gholdengo check on Moonblast and to chip Clodsire if it comes in. It is outpowered by another Iron Valiant carrying a Booster Energy, but Pex is the man for the job in that scenario. Tera Steel comes in clutch when facing another Iron Valiant when Pex is not in good HP to come in (or fainted), and to resist Gholdengo’s Make It Rain and Kingambit’s Iron Head, as well as Psychic and Posion moves.
Tahm Kench (Dondozo) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Unaware
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Liquidation
- Body Press
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Last but not least, we have the Dozo. Absolute physical wall. Ultimate anti Setup-Sweepers. Incredible fishy boi. Roaring Moon who? This guy is the physical wall of the team. Rocky Helmet helps chip away the U-turners, the Spinners and overall physical attackers. Rest + Sleep Talk keeps it healthy, and allows it to come in on Amoonguss’ or Breeloom’s Spore, preventing other teammates from falling asleep later in the game. Max HP and DEF for the most bulk. Liquidation over Wave Crash to avoid recoil damage as I don’t run it with Leftovers. Body Press helps deal with Kingambit, Roaring Moon and Baxcalibur.
THREATS
Armarouge & Co. are an enormous threat to this team. That match-up almost always results in Terastallizing Kingambit on Armor Cannon and still losing 1/3 of the HP, then being unable to Sucker Punch due to the Psychic terrain. Hatterene with Eject Button prevents Pult from U-Turning on it. This comp overall really punishes the team.
Garganacl is just disgusting. It doesn’t counter the team per se, but it is really annoying and must be played around carefully. Salt cure prevent Dondozo and Kingambit from coming in on it, and Iron Valiant can OHKO it as it usually runs the SPDEF set.
TEAM IMPORTABLE AND CONCLUSION
https://pokepast.es/bb92b48fe9dd92ba
Thanks a lot to all of you who read this post and comment. If you have any insight on how to improve the team I’d really appreciate it. Have a nice day!
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and that set also gives us some lovely chip on mons we'd like to be chipped for valiant and pult
