Kerchek (Rillaboom) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Wood Hammer
- Grassy Glide
Rillaboom acts as the primary physical wallbreaker for the team, able to take chunks out of bulky walls whilst also providing a strong priority option to pick off weakened sweepers. Knock off is there to help deal with ghost types and to remove passive recovery which can otherwise pose a problem for the team. Wood hammer allows a 2HKO on a lot of walls and U-turn allows a switch out of unfavourable matchups, such as corviknight, mandibuzz, and ferrothorn. Obviously the ability here is grassy terrain to allow priority on grassy glide, power up Rillaboom's grass moves, and to weaken ground moves targetted against the other members of the team, magnezone and volcarona in particular. Rillaboom can also act as a pretty good excadrill check if kept healthy, a mon which is a fair problem for the rest of the team.
ICP (Magnezone) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 196 Def / 252 SpA / 60 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Body Press
Magnezone choice specs hits like a truck and takes care of many of the walls Rillaboom has trouble breaking past, such as corviknight, skarmory, and mandibuzz. Volt switch for momentum, thunderbolt for STAB damage, and flash cannon for coverage. 60 speed EVs allows Magnezone to outspeed uninvested corviknight and KO with volt switch or thunderbolt. This investment also allows Magnezone to outspeed defensive pelipper. 196 defense EVs with body press allows Magnezone to do a minimum of 50% to blissey on a switch in with analytic, and 39-46% afterwards, so just a little bit of chip damage is needed to bring blissey in range. Analytic is used here instead of magnet pull as I find that most corviknights and skarmorys will not try to switch out, and will instead stay in to die to an electric move despite not being trapped, so analytic provides extra damage in general.
Stuart (Volcarona) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Bug Buzz
Volcarona is a great complement to Rillaboom, allowing it to setup with quiver dance on a variety of different pokemon when under grassy terrain, including some of the walls that Rillaboom can't break and excadrill lacking rock slide. Fire blast provides maximum damage output for fire STAB and bug buzz allows for certain KOs on unresisted hits after setup, without relying on fire blast hitting. Psychic comes in very handy for taking out Kommo-o, Toxapex, and Rapid Strike Urshifu. Heavy duty boots because stealth rocks exist.
Furvius (Lycanroc-Dusk) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Accelerock
- Stone Edge
- Close Combat
- Drill Run
A little unsure about this pick, however Lycanroc-D provides a check to opposing volcarona that is otherwise not present on the team. Accelrock can pick off weakened pokemon whereas stone edge exists for greater damage output. Close combat destroys the likes of blissey and tyranitar, and hits harder than stone edge with tough claws when both have the same efficacy against the opponent. I'm not sure about drill run, and was considering iron head for e.g. Clefable, however it does OHKO Toxtricity without relying on stone edge hitting and do better damage to Toxapex.
Murray (Hippowdon) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 SpD
Impish Nature
- High Horsepower
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
Hippowdon sets up the sand to give nice chip for rillaboom, and break potential focus sashes. Rocky helmet plus maximum HP investment and some defense allows for Hippowdon to tank hits from physical attackers and deal nice chip damage in return. I use 124 special defense EVs as this should guarantee that Hippowdon lives a modest choice specs boomburst from Toxtricity after stealth rocks every time, and KO in return with high horsepower, which is not weakened by grassy terrain. Slack off gives reliable recovery whereas stealth rocks allows Hippowdon to chip away at the opponent's team. Whirlwind prevents setup and can allow Hippowdon to rack up damage with stealth rocks, especially when the opponent opts to u-turn and take rocky helmet chip.
Bebop (Mantine) (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Scald
- Roost
- Toxic
Finally, Mantine acts as the special defense for the team, able to tank hits from rain team sweepers and go for burns with scald or toxic for continual damage over time. Mantine also allows hazard removal, which I feel is quite important for most teams. Roost provides reliable recovery. Heavy duty boots ensure that Mantine, being weak to stealth rocks itself, can come in and defog on slower pokemon and most special attackers. Maximum HP and defense allows Mantine to switch into fighting type moves fairly easily whilst also retaining decent special bulk due to its base stats.
Anyway let me know what you think! I'm fairly new to tier-focussed teambuilding, so I tried to guide sets to tackle specific pokemon in the tier, rather than for general mixed tier battling. Appreciate any and all comments. Thanks! :)
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Wood Hammer
- Grassy Glide
Rillaboom acts as the primary physical wallbreaker for the team, able to take chunks out of bulky walls whilst also providing a strong priority option to pick off weakened sweepers. Knock off is there to help deal with ghost types and to remove passive recovery which can otherwise pose a problem for the team. Wood hammer allows a 2HKO on a lot of walls and U-turn allows a switch out of unfavourable matchups, such as corviknight, mandibuzz, and ferrothorn. Obviously the ability here is grassy terrain to allow priority on grassy glide, power up Rillaboom's grass moves, and to weaken ground moves targetted against the other members of the team, magnezone and volcarona in particular. Rillaboom can also act as a pretty good excadrill check if kept healthy, a mon which is a fair problem for the rest of the team.
ICP (Magnezone) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 196 Def / 252 SpA / 60 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Body Press
Magnezone choice specs hits like a truck and takes care of many of the walls Rillaboom has trouble breaking past, such as corviknight, skarmory, and mandibuzz. Volt switch for momentum, thunderbolt for STAB damage, and flash cannon for coverage. 60 speed EVs allows Magnezone to outspeed uninvested corviknight and KO with volt switch or thunderbolt. This investment also allows Magnezone to outspeed defensive pelipper. 196 defense EVs with body press allows Magnezone to do a minimum of 50% to blissey on a switch in with analytic, and 39-46% afterwards, so just a little bit of chip damage is needed to bring blissey in range. Analytic is used here instead of magnet pull as I find that most corviknights and skarmorys will not try to switch out, and will instead stay in to die to an electric move despite not being trapped, so analytic provides extra damage in general.
Stuart (Volcarona) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Bug Buzz
Volcarona is a great complement to Rillaboom, allowing it to setup with quiver dance on a variety of different pokemon when under grassy terrain, including some of the walls that Rillaboom can't break and excadrill lacking rock slide. Fire blast provides maximum damage output for fire STAB and bug buzz allows for certain KOs on unresisted hits after setup, without relying on fire blast hitting. Psychic comes in very handy for taking out Kommo-o, Toxapex, and Rapid Strike Urshifu. Heavy duty boots because stealth rocks exist.
Furvius (Lycanroc-Dusk) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Accelerock
- Stone Edge
- Close Combat
- Drill Run
A little unsure about this pick, however Lycanroc-D provides a check to opposing volcarona that is otherwise not present on the team. Accelrock can pick off weakened pokemon whereas stone edge exists for greater damage output. Close combat destroys the likes of blissey and tyranitar, and hits harder than stone edge with tough claws when both have the same efficacy against the opponent. I'm not sure about drill run, and was considering iron head for e.g. Clefable, however it does OHKO Toxtricity without relying on stone edge hitting and do better damage to Toxapex.
Murray (Hippowdon) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 SpD
Impish Nature
- High Horsepower
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
Hippowdon sets up the sand to give nice chip for rillaboom, and break potential focus sashes. Rocky helmet plus maximum HP investment and some defense allows for Hippowdon to tank hits from physical attackers and deal nice chip damage in return. I use 124 special defense EVs as this should guarantee that Hippowdon lives a modest choice specs boomburst from Toxtricity after stealth rocks every time, and KO in return with high horsepower, which is not weakened by grassy terrain. Slack off gives reliable recovery whereas stealth rocks allows Hippowdon to chip away at the opponent's team. Whirlwind prevents setup and can allow Hippowdon to rack up damage with stealth rocks, especially when the opponent opts to u-turn and take rocky helmet chip.
Bebop (Mantine) (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Scald
- Roost
- Toxic
Finally, Mantine acts as the special defense for the team, able to tank hits from rain team sweepers and go for burns with scald or toxic for continual damage over time. Mantine also allows hazard removal, which I feel is quite important for most teams. Roost provides reliable recovery. Heavy duty boots ensure that Mantine, being weak to stealth rocks itself, can come in and defog on slower pokemon and most special attackers. Maximum HP and defense allows Mantine to switch into fighting type moves fairly easily whilst also retaining decent special bulk due to its base stats.
Anyway let me know what you think! I'm fairly new to tier-focussed teambuilding, so I tried to guide sets to tackle specific pokemon in the tier, rather than for general mixed tier battling. Appreciate any and all comments. Thanks! :)
