I just started getting into LC over this past week or so and have found myself already smitten with the meta; I like the variety of playstyles that pervade the game and the viability of a wide range of Pokémon, even outside of the major threatlist. I decided to jump in feet first and try out a few things and build a team from there. While I've managed to keep a decent record, I feel like my team is just short of allowing me to contend with ladder. I've been hovering just below the cutoff for the past handful of battles and when facing folks over the cutoff, I struggle to net wins, but people around my same ranking are easily picked off. I'd also like some advice on EV spreads since EVs work a lot differently in LC.
Aipom (M) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Spd / 236 Atk / 36 HP
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Fake Out
- U-turn
- Fury Swipes
Aipom was one of the first additions to my squad, coming in as a replacement for a Glameow I tested on a whim. With his speed and attack, he's been a really valuable pivot and can actually clean up a lot of late-game threats. Knock Off, Fake Out and U-Turn all serve as valuable assets to keep momentum going and allow me to rotate around my two Regenerators a little easier. Fury Swipes is an interesting move and has worked pretty well as solid offense, hitting 135 Base Power with Skill Link + STAB, though I'm still unsure if the low accuracy and slight drop in power is worth it over Return; I may swap it for Return and give myself Pickup instead. He's also a pretty effective lead and scout if need be, due to his ability to make a quick switch and leave a little damage behind with U-Turn/Fake Out.
Abra (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Spd / 236 SAtk / 76 SDef
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
A major offensive core of my team, able to sweep a good deal of the game if given the right setup. Psyshock is there for the Specially Bulky Fighters and the other equally bulky walls that run around, making a rather effective counter to threats like Mienfoo. Dazzling Gleam scares off Scrafty, as long as he's not DD. Shadow Ball is primarily for Missy, though it has its uses against others. Energy Ball is mostly for Chinchou, though it also comes in handy against Shell Smashers. The biggest issue with Abra is, of course, his frailty, and it's been tough switching him in easily; even NVE hits put a big enough dent in him that he has trouble sweeping properly, and he really fears priority.
Snubbull (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 196 SDef / 116 Def
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang
- Heal Bell
Snubbull was a bit of a shot in the dark when I added her, looking for something that didn't fear KO and could deal with offensive Fighting types that were, at the time, ruining my game. So far she's done her role fairly well, with the combination of moves working decently to surprise or frighten a number of threats. However, she's surprisingly scared of Pawniard, a threat I hoped she would counter, which makes playing her all the much harder in the higher ranks. When she can pick up momentum, however, she can leave dents in the other team with a pretty respectable Attack stat.
Foongus (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Def / 184 SDef / 132 SAtk / 116 HP
Sassy Nature
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Foul Play
The classic Foongus, a major defensive pivot of my team since day 1. Foongus has been one of the most valuable Pokémon on my team, able to scare away or annoy the shit out of offensive threats. Even though she's not a huge offensive threat, Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain have enough staying power that it works out well. She's also a pretty good check to Cottonee, who fears Sludge Bomb, helping to scare off any anti-Spore switches. The last slot was initially filler, but I found it to be pretty good insurance against Shell Smashers, even if it is sort of situational. She and Mienfoo have really formed the core of my team, acting as the two vital threat eliminators alongside Aipom that allow the offensive duo to do their jobs.
Mienfoo (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 28 SDef / 156 Atk / 128 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Fake Out
My third major pivot, the classic Mienfoo, has carried my team in the past few battles. Despite being the latest addition, she's proven her worth already and been immensely valuable as a staying force. I've been using her as a lead in place of Aipom here and there, who is generally brought in as a relatively sacrificeable scout. Her staying power is fantastic, especially her ability to go toe-to-toe with previously crippling threats. She does, however, wish she could get some priority that's not Fake Out; she'd be a great Shell Smash counter except for the fact that she just can't outspeed them.
Magnemite @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 156 SDef / 80 SAtk / 76 HP
Bold Nature
- Magnet Rise
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Magnemite was an experiment in the effectiveness of Sturdy + Berry Juice to optimize staying power. The results of the experiment have been mixed. While Volt Switch plays in well with my switch-heavy setup, I find myself often wishing I didn't have to switch out Magnemite to make a hit, but can't sacrifice the mobility in many cases either. I also found that Magnemite may be too defensive for its own good; often when it takes a hit, Sturdy doesn't trigger or sometimes Berry Juice doesn't go off, devaluing the strategy entirely. That said, Magnemite is still useful here and there, especially as a sponge to eat certain attacks. But overall, it's probably the weakest link, with somewhat situational uses, and is likely the first to go in any planned revamps.
Threat List
Shell Smashers: The overall sluggishness of my team makes me fear Shell Smashers intensely. With my only priority being Fake Out, I have a great deal of trouble scaring off Smashers, especially those with White Herb, and have enough Pokémon that can't handle even non-Smashed Smashers that they can easily boost on the switch or just take me out after they boost. Magnemite can sometimes handle them, but without a Water resistance, he doesn't always fare too well. Foongus can also stand up to some threats, but her defense is far too low to stay in after the boost.
Priority Users: Though not quite as bad as Smashers, Priority does still screw with me a little bit. Though I can often outpredict it, my two speedy 'mon, Abra and Aipom, both dislike priority attacks. It makes it hard when the priority user is something that also threatens my team, like Pawniard.
Pawniard: I have yet to find a Pokémon on my team that can singlehandedly match Pawniard. While I theoretically have a lot of good options, none of them quite make the snuff. Abra can't OHKO with Dazzling Gleam and fears Sucker Punch. Snubbull is easily outsped and with a KO'd Eviolite, can't last long enough to get off two Play Roughs. Mienfoo does okay, but often scares off Pawniard before it can strike. In order to deal with it, I generally have to get a lucky Spore off and hope that they switch it out so it can be dealt with later when I can pick up momentum.
Drillbur: I haven't encountered many offensive Drillbur lately, but the few I have seen ripped through my team. Though I've mitigated my Ground weakness through a few substitutions, I still don't have much to counter its EQs.
Aipom (M) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Spd / 236 Atk / 36 HP
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Fake Out
- U-turn
- Fury Swipes
Aipom was one of the first additions to my squad, coming in as a replacement for a Glameow I tested on a whim. With his speed and attack, he's been a really valuable pivot and can actually clean up a lot of late-game threats. Knock Off, Fake Out and U-Turn all serve as valuable assets to keep momentum going and allow me to rotate around my two Regenerators a little easier. Fury Swipes is an interesting move and has worked pretty well as solid offense, hitting 135 Base Power with Skill Link + STAB, though I'm still unsure if the low accuracy and slight drop in power is worth it over Return; I may swap it for Return and give myself Pickup instead. He's also a pretty effective lead and scout if need be, due to his ability to make a quick switch and leave a little damage behind with U-Turn/Fake Out.
Abra (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Spd / 236 SAtk / 76 SDef
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
A major offensive core of my team, able to sweep a good deal of the game if given the right setup. Psyshock is there for the Specially Bulky Fighters and the other equally bulky walls that run around, making a rather effective counter to threats like Mienfoo. Dazzling Gleam scares off Scrafty, as long as he's not DD. Shadow Ball is primarily for Missy, though it has its uses against others. Energy Ball is mostly for Chinchou, though it also comes in handy against Shell Smashers. The biggest issue with Abra is, of course, his frailty, and it's been tough switching him in easily; even NVE hits put a big enough dent in him that he has trouble sweeping properly, and he really fears priority.
Snubbull (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 196 SDef / 116 Def
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang
- Heal Bell
Snubbull was a bit of a shot in the dark when I added her, looking for something that didn't fear KO and could deal with offensive Fighting types that were, at the time, ruining my game. So far she's done her role fairly well, with the combination of moves working decently to surprise or frighten a number of threats. However, she's surprisingly scared of Pawniard, a threat I hoped she would counter, which makes playing her all the much harder in the higher ranks. When she can pick up momentum, however, she can leave dents in the other team with a pretty respectable Attack stat.
Foongus (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Def / 184 SDef / 132 SAtk / 116 HP
Sassy Nature
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Foul Play
The classic Foongus, a major defensive pivot of my team since day 1. Foongus has been one of the most valuable Pokémon on my team, able to scare away or annoy the shit out of offensive threats. Even though she's not a huge offensive threat, Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain have enough staying power that it works out well. She's also a pretty good check to Cottonee, who fears Sludge Bomb, helping to scare off any anti-Spore switches. The last slot was initially filler, but I found it to be pretty good insurance against Shell Smashers, even if it is sort of situational. She and Mienfoo have really formed the core of my team, acting as the two vital threat eliminators alongside Aipom that allow the offensive duo to do their jobs.
Mienfoo (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 28 SDef / 156 Atk / 128 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Fake Out
My third major pivot, the classic Mienfoo, has carried my team in the past few battles. Despite being the latest addition, she's proven her worth already and been immensely valuable as a staying force. I've been using her as a lead in place of Aipom here and there, who is generally brought in as a relatively sacrificeable scout. Her staying power is fantastic, especially her ability to go toe-to-toe with previously crippling threats. She does, however, wish she could get some priority that's not Fake Out; she'd be a great Shell Smash counter except for the fact that she just can't outspeed them.
Magnemite @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 156 SDef / 80 SAtk / 76 HP
Bold Nature
- Magnet Rise
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Magnemite was an experiment in the effectiveness of Sturdy + Berry Juice to optimize staying power. The results of the experiment have been mixed. While Volt Switch plays in well with my switch-heavy setup, I find myself often wishing I didn't have to switch out Magnemite to make a hit, but can't sacrifice the mobility in many cases either. I also found that Magnemite may be too defensive for its own good; often when it takes a hit, Sturdy doesn't trigger or sometimes Berry Juice doesn't go off, devaluing the strategy entirely. That said, Magnemite is still useful here and there, especially as a sponge to eat certain attacks. But overall, it's probably the weakest link, with somewhat situational uses, and is likely the first to go in any planned revamps.
Threat List
Shell Smashers: The overall sluggishness of my team makes me fear Shell Smashers intensely. With my only priority being Fake Out, I have a great deal of trouble scaring off Smashers, especially those with White Herb, and have enough Pokémon that can't handle even non-Smashed Smashers that they can easily boost on the switch or just take me out after they boost. Magnemite can sometimes handle them, but without a Water resistance, he doesn't always fare too well. Foongus can also stand up to some threats, but her defense is far too low to stay in after the boost.
Priority Users: Though not quite as bad as Smashers, Priority does still screw with me a little bit. Though I can often outpredict it, my two speedy 'mon, Abra and Aipom, both dislike priority attacks. It makes it hard when the priority user is something that also threatens my team, like Pawniard.
Pawniard: I have yet to find a Pokémon on my team that can singlehandedly match Pawniard. While I theoretically have a lot of good options, none of them quite make the snuff. Abra can't OHKO with Dazzling Gleam and fears Sucker Punch. Snubbull is easily outsped and with a KO'd Eviolite, can't last long enough to get off two Play Roughs. Mienfoo does okay, but often scares off Pawniard before it can strike. In order to deal with it, I generally have to get a lucky Spore off and hope that they switch it out so it can be dealt with later when I can pick up momentum.
Drillbur: I haven't encountered many offensive Drillbur lately, but the few I have seen ripped through my team. Though I've mitigated my Ground weakness through a few substitutions, I still don't have much to counter its EQs.
