Back, but rusty after a long hiatus

[azntrumpet]

So after a long break from Pokemon, I have decided to return to the battlefield. All my old strategies are primative, and some of the most hilarious are even banned (Wobbuffett). With the new influx of Pokemon like BP Scizor and Latias, this is a whole new game. Therefore, in order to get used to it, I have decided to incorporate both into my team.

This team is designed to set up a CM Latias sweep, by ridding my opponent of all of its usual trouble Pokemon via the trappers that I love.

Uxie @Choice Scarf
252 HP/104 Def/152 Spd
Bold
Levitate
U-Turn
Psychic
Stealth Rock
Trick

This is my new lead, replacing Azelf, and it has worked much better for me. This gets Stealth Rock down, absorbs and gives Trick, has an attack, and provides U-Turns to Magnezone, Dugtrio, and Scizor, all things Azelf could did not. Additionally, it provides much needed bulk while continuing to attact Scizors and Tyranitars. It does however run into trouble with lead Tyranitars with Pursuit, in which case I'd probably get SR down and bring in Dugtrio for the kill. Even if it Tricks off the Choice Scarf, if I can get the Focus Sash that many leads carry, I can trick that onto a wall late game and save myself as I have done a couple times. Overall, a really nice addition.

Magnezone @Choice Scarf
252 Sp. Att/252 Spd/4 Att
Naive
Magnet Pull
Thunderbolt
HP Fire
Explosion
Flash Cannon

This is an absolute must as I only have Dragon attacks on my main sweeper. HP Fire is for the OHKO on Scizor so as to avoid a Brick Break, but I'm not sure if that threat alone merits a moveslot. Instead, it might be worthwhile to throw HP Ice on it to deal with Salamance and Grounds, but I'm not sure. Also works great to switch into SD Lucario if I can predict around CC, traps ScarfMetagross (which is really annoying to my team), and take out Skarmory that would otherwise phaze my Latias. Luckily for me, Shed Shells have become increasingly more uncommon since back when I used to play.

Dugtrio @ Choice Band
252 Att/252 Spd/4 HP
Jolly
Arena Trap
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Aerial Ace
Sucker Punch

Standard CB Dugtrio, especially for Tyrantitar and weakened Blissey's. This has been one of my favorite and most overused Pokemon in my career; it's been on almost every team. So with Tyrantitars, Heatran, and Jirachi running rampant, it is almost a must to set up a Latias sweep. Loves receiving U-Turns from Scizor and the free switch in from Explosions to trap some major threats.

Scizor @Choice Band
252 HP/252 Att/4 Def
Adamant
Technician
U-Turn
Pursuit
Bullet Punch
Superpower

Standard CB Scizor to provide bulk, U-Turns for trapping with Dugtrio or Magnezone, and priority. One of the major reasons I made the team, as now I can see why it is one of the most overused Pokemon in the game. Bullet Punch is undoubtably a game changing move for Scizor as now it can deal with things like Azelf, Gengar, Salamence, and Tyranitar. The lack of recovery on this concerns me though as I'm not as careful and meticulous about thinking moves through as I once was.

Porygon2 @Leftovers
252 HP/216 Def/40 Sp. Att
Bold
Trace
Ice Beam
Thunderbolt
Thunder Wave
Recover

Easily my favorite Pokemon on this team. This has beaten so many Gyrados, it's not even funny. Also works great for Salamance, Heatran, Vaporeon, and Jolteon among others. Trace is definitely an underrated ability as it uses abilities like Flash Fire, Intimidate, and Volt Absorb against their owners. Nobody seems to know what this thing is capable of or how to respond to it and I'm puzzled as to why it's NU. I've decided to replace HP Ground with Thunder Wave, and so far it has worked well, allowing me to cripple fast sweepers or outspeed bulkier Pokemon in time to get in another Recover. So far, my biggest issue with this is that it can only counter one Pokemon at a time because Trace is its biggest asset.

Latias @Leftovers
252 Sp. Att/252 Spd/4 HP
Timid
Levitate
Dragon Pulse
Substitute
Calm Mind
Recover

The main focus of my team, works great with Steels and Blissey out of the way. Not sure how to use the EV's most effectively on this one though, because of Calm Mind. If I must get this in early game, I always Sub first to see what their counter is and respond accordingly. I decided I could forego HP Fire for Recover in order to beat bulkier set-up Pokemon, especially other CMers. I feel that Dugtrio/Magnezone is efficient enough for eliminating Steel threats.

Offensive Threats

Aerodactyl – Usually a lead, U-Turn to Scizor when it tries to Taunt

Azelf – Usually a lead, U-Turn to Scizor

Breloom – Uxie takes the sleep as the most expendable, somehow need to get Duggy in for the AA

Dragonite - Porygon2 and Scizor handle it pretty well

Electivire – Uxie switches in, U-Turns to Duggy

Empoleon – Magnezone/Duggy can revenge kill if they avoid Agility/AJ. Porygon2 does a good job walling

Flygon – Porgyon2 likes to switch into everything barring CBOutrage and U-Turn

Gengar – Scizor does a nice job, Uxie can be sac’d to take a sleep or T-Bolt to get it in

Gyarados – Porygon2

Heatran – Non Dragon Pulse Heatran are set-up fodder for Latias Porgyon2 takes all fire attacks and T-Wave/Bolts it back. Duggy can revenge kill.

Heracross – Uxie is the normal response, can be revenged by Duggy

Infernape – Trick LeadApes, set-up fodder for Latias, revenger fodder for Duggy

Jirachi – Magnezone rapes ScarfJirachi, Latias sets up on CM variants, can be revenged by Duggy

Jolteon – SpecsJolt locked into T-bolt get EQ’d by Duggy, non SpecsJolts are walled by Porgyon2

Kingdra – Trouble Poke, especially w/ DD+Sub, usually have to sacrifice one or 2 Pokes to trap and kill it off

Latias – Scizor likes to switch in to non-HP Fire Latias, Uxie can Trick CM Latias, Duggy can SP, but not trap

Lucario – Magnezone come in directly on non CC’s, or come in on an Uxie U-Turn if I predict CC

Machamp – Trouble Poke, usually weakened by one Pokemon and brought down by Duggy

Magnezone – Usually only comes in to trap Scizor, easily revenged by Dugtrio

Mamoswine – Uxie and Scizor handle it relatively well, as does Magnezone if it can avoid an EQ

Metagross – Scizor is normally brought in to U-Turn to Porgyon2 or Magnezone/Duggy depending on what happens

Ninjask – U-Turn to Scizor, trouble if it can pass the right boosts to others, but hopefully it can be picked off/scared out quickly

Roserade – Usually a lead, Trick then Psychic/SR if SP misses

Salamence – Porgyon2 is a great counter, Scizor can revenge

Scizor –Magnezone

Smeargle – Usually a lead, Uxie uses Trick

Starmie – Magnezone and Duggy can revenge kill, Latias can set-up on this too.

Togekiss – Magnezone is the usually switch-in

Tyranitar – U-Turn to hopefully trap it if it’s a lead. Almost always is lured out by Uxie or another choiced attack to be killed by Scizor or Duggy

Weavile - Scizor

Defensive Threats

Blissey – Latias can beat it if it lacks either status or Seismic Toss, Scizor can switch in pretty easily, Duggy can kill if weakened

Bronzong – Usually a problem as it sets up Rain or DS, but if not it is easily dealt with. Scizor still hits it pretty hard with Reflect up and can U-Turn to Magnezone for a kill

Celebi – Latias and Scizor love to get in on this if they can avoid T-Wave, Uxie will switch-in and Trick/U-Turn if I don’t know what it has.

Dusknoir – Latias can beat this 1 on 1, Scizor can Pursuit it; this will gradually be weakened as it lacks reliable recovery
Forretress – Magnezone traps and kills before it can get down more than one layer of entry hazards

Gliscor – Latias owns non-Taunt Gliscor, can still be DP’d if it does have it, or switch to Porygon2 to scare it off with Ice Beam

Hippowdon – Usually a lead, falls for the unexpected Trick, set-up fodder for Latias should it lack Ice Fang, Toxic, and Roar

Rotom - Usually worn down as it lacks reliable recovery, can be SP'd, Pursuited

Skarmory - Magnezone/Porygon2

Snorlax - CurseLax is an issue, must use Super Power/EQ/Trick to beat it

Suicune - NonCrocune is beaten by Latias, must EQ/Explode/U-Turn it to wear it down

Swampert - Easily dealt with if it lacks Roar/Avalanche, otherwise it is gradually worn down

Tentacruel - Duggy can trap, Latias can set-up on

Vaporeon - Latias can set-up on w/o Roar, Porgyon2 can beat it w/o Toxic

Zapdos - Porgyon2, Latias, Magnezone can all beat it

 

[scarloc]

this team is really good. it can go through most comon swepers with the right prediction. some advice so that you can change around.
one) you ned stealth rock. with ths gyarados can't switch in easily nor can salamence. the azelf moveset is
taunt, SR, (watever you want), explosion. however if you want screens
taunt, screens, explosion. don't swap it for uxie unless you want to.
porygon 2 can be replaed with porygon z. attach a scarf to go rampant. note nasty plot and hyper beam 0HKO Blissey.
lastly a mixape weakness. runing grass knot, CC, HP ice and fire blast
but still very good

 

[Bulbasaurus]

this team is really good. it can go through most comon swepers with the right prediction. some advice so that you can change around.
one) you ned stealth rock. with ths gyarados can't switch in easily nor can salamence. the azelf moveset is
taunt, SR, (watever you want), explosion. however if you want screens
taunt, screens, explosion. don't swap it for uxie unless you want to.
porygon 2 can be replaed with porygon z. attach a scarf to go rampant. note nasty plot and hyper beam 0HKO Blissey.
lastly a mixape weakness. runing grass knot, CC, HP ice and fire blast
but still very good

they aren't looking for something to deal special attack damage, the use of porygon2 is that it counter the very coomon gyrados and salamences.

Also in my opinion you shouldn't use more than 2 choiced pokemon because getting locked into moves so often can be a pain but i guess that is more of an opinion.

 

[Aero Oasis]

Okay, real quick rate.

The meta is much different from when you were last here, as you've recognized. Leads now mostly have one of two goals: Get SR up (while stopping theirs if possible), or kill common leads so another poke can set it up. Azelf is one of the most used leads to get SR up and taunt to stop slower leads from doing the same. I honestly don't see the huge value to running dual screens on this team, especially because pokemon like Dugtrio aren't going to want to take a hit regardless. The screens can also be stalled out using smart switching, so really a reliable SRer/anti-lead would fit better. They include Infernape, Metagross, Gliscor, Aerodactyl, Dif Azelf set (somg standard), ect.

Run 248 HP ev's on Sciz, it's a magic number. If you are really worried about recover on Sciz, you have a couple of options. You can run a standard SD sciz with roost over bugbite, or you could put lefties on him and run SD, u-turn, BP, SP. WHile it seems gimicky, I and a few others have used it to moderate success. My personal favorite strat using scizor is to give him Iron Plate and bluff CB, running SD, BP, SP, and either roost or bugbite, spamming BP to convince them it's choice, going for the sweep later.

Seeing as you have two trappers who are both at least moderately successful at killing steels, HP Ground on Pory2 is superfluous. Running Para support can greatly aid Lati when setting up and your trappers when cleaning up, while toxic can make lati a pseudo-staller.

I would reccomend putting in CB or Scarf Flygon. The value here is 2-fold: First, you can get the classic u-turn combo between him and sciz (and can further aid switching to trappers). Second, he has similar weaknesses and counters to Lati, so you can wear down (and trap) w/ u-turn people that otherwise would come in on lati, aiding the sweep in the end. I honestly would put him in over dugtrio as a more adept revenge killer, seeing as you already have a dedicated steel trapper.

DOn't take off HP Fire on Zone, the goal is to kill all the steels to help Lati.

Scarloc... your rate said literally nothing -.- "Only switch x pokemon if you want to" and "need SR but your set is good" lol

And it's okay to have a few choice pokemon especially when they can u-turn and trap, and w/ smart prediction it shouldn't be a problem.

Good luck, hope I helped!

 

[azntrumpet]

Bump. Azelf changed to Uxie and it seems to be working well.

Any way to deal with Rain Sweeper and/or DD Kingdra with this team? I seem to have trouble with it. Also have some issues with Fighting types that cause status (Machamp, Breloom).

 

[azntrumpet]

Bump. Threat list added. Any ways to beat CurseLax/Rain Dance more easily?

 

[sce4]

Although it is a great counter to a lot of the metagame I think Porygon 2 is wasted on this team because the pokes it takes out are the very pokes that latias loves setting up on, revenge killing or killing during her sweep. For this reason I think that a RestTalker Machamp. Confusion can be just as helpful as paralysis at times (apart from switching out but even that can be exploited) and alleviates your fear of Curselax and would be your best answer to Blissey. It also helps wear down Rain Dance teams when they switch or hurt themselves making it more easy to counter attack. Having a RestTalker also means you can absorb status and have a way to heal off damage. As for the second attacking option I would choose Payback as Rotoms and a lot of other ghost use status inducing moves that Machamp will be switching into and not having a way to deal with them is suicide (not to mention they cause problems for your team if you can't find an opening to pursuit trap them).

 

[azntrumpet]

Latias likes setting up on ScarfTran? Gyrados? Salamence? I don't think so... Maybe Jolt and Vap, but its not like I them out with Porygon2, its just another counter. It also attracts choiced Fighting attacks like light attracts bugs. It's even a funny as heck switchin to Scarf Flygon, who Latias HATES, as it can take Outrages, steal Levitate to make EQ miss, and OHKO back with Ice Beam. I much prefer paralysis to confusion as it lasts longer, and has more PP for stall wars that I find myself in a lot. It even adds to the trapping them by turning the tables on Dugtrio. The switch would also make me pretty DD Gyrados weak. Blissey is easy as heck to deal with once I find out its moveset, and Porygon2 lets me scout just that so I can proceed accordingly with Latias, Scizor, or Dugtrio.

 

[sce4]

I didn't say Latias could set up on them, but it can easily revenge kill Salamence and can annihilate all of them after a Calm Mind.