Battle Tree Discussion and Records

[Eisenherz]

Submitting a streak of 248 in Super Doubles with an Extreme Evoboost team (I created a QR code for those who want to try it out!).

The team was inspired by Giovanni Costa's famous Eevee team that got him great results at multiple VGC events. I had no idea whether it could work out in the Tree, but thought it would be really fun to try in any case. I had 4 runs in total with the team, including this one - the first one got me to 86, the 2nd and 3rd ended very early. The common theme of these 3 first losses were that they could have easily been avoided by working on the EV spreads and being more careful with my play, so I kept faith in its potential, and I'm certainly glad I did!

The losing battle: G7TW-WWWW-WWW6-R8FQ vs. Young Athlete Thamina.

The team:

@ Eviolite

Sassy | Friend Guard
IVs: 31/x/31/31/31/0
EVs: 228 HP / 172 Def / 108 SpDef
Follow Me / After You / Moonlight / Protect

Clefairy provides really good redirection support while Eevee boosts. Its bulk is not to be underestimated, and if it manages to hang around for long enough, Friend Guard support makes a huge difference in keeping Krookodile at high HP. Follow Me is for obvious redirection reasons, and that's the move it goes for almost all the time. I tried a ton of options for the other moveslots, because Clefairy gets access to many good support moves, but since it almost only gets to use Follow Me, picking the optimal ones took a lot of trials. The question is: if, by some miracle, Clefairy gets a free turn where it can afford to not go for Follow Me, what can help the most? For a while, I tried Gravity to help Krookodile sweep with Earthquake (it's especially nice against Zapdos) and Tapu Fini hit Muddy Water. I also had Heal Pulse over Moonlight for a long time, but since Follow Me is always used, as long as it's on the field, Clefairy tanks all the damage and its ally stays healthy, so if anyone actually needs healing on a free turn, it's Clefairy, not the ally. After You ended up being more helpful than Gravity (or Helping Hand), as the team is obviously weak to Trick Room. Clefairy is sure to be one of the slowest Pokémon on the field, so After You helps the team have a good matchup against Trick Room (though Clefairy must be preserved dearly against these teams). Protect helps when Krookodile wants to score double-KOs with Earthquake. I'm now fairly certain this is the optimal Clefairy moveset for this team. An argument could be made for Moonblast in order to not be bothered by Taunt, but Clefairy is bothered by Taunt no matter what, since it cannot do its job when taunted, so I prefer switching it out in these occasions. It's annoying, but not that big of a deal.

@ Eevium Z

Jolly | Adaptability
IVs: HT/HT/HT/HT/HT/HT
EVs: 196 HP / 4 Atk / 60 Def / 108 SpDef / 140 Spe
Quick Attack / Baton Pass / Helping Hand / Last Resort

Eevee's set is very straightforward for an Extreme Evoboost team. Last Resort and Baton Pass are mandatory, while having one attack is obviously important. Return would work for some good damage, but I prefer Quick Attack since the team doesn't have other priority moves, and it can take care of focus sashes. Helping Hand is used when things go south with the main plan and Eevee is forced to come back at the end of the battle to support either Fini or Krookodile. In a pinch, the additional damage is really important, as highlighted in some of the replays below. The given EV spread allows Eevee to tank an Explosion from Azelf1 before the boosts and outspeed a majority of Pokémon, with 204 in speed after the boosts.

@ Leftovers

Modest | Misty Surge
IVs: 31/20/31/30(HT)/31/30(HT)
EVs: 244 HP / 252 SpAtk / 12 Spe
Psych Up / Moonblast / Scald / Protect

I experimented with a lot of sets for Tapu Fini. My original run of 86 had a Bold one instead, but I had just caught this Modest one and wanted to give it a try, so I did. I still don't know which I'd consider best, there are pros and cons to each nature and spread. In any case, there are many reasons why Tapu Fini is so good: its really good natural bulk, its amazing typing, but above all, Misty Surge. Quoting Hervee:

Misty surge alone would warrant a spot for Fini regardless of her stats imo, covers a multitude of would be threats and negates a lot of rng without even using a slot.

I wholeheartedly agree with this, and for Misty Surge alone, I think Fini is the best Psych Up user to go with the rest of the core. It shields the team against all Toxic stalling Pokémon, against sleep inducers, against Yawn phazers, and against Swagger/Confuse Ray shenanigans. As a matter of fact, with Fini by its side, Krookodile loves to receive a Swagger! Fini is also solid enough all by itself to give the team a chance whenever the main plan fails. For the longest time, I used Muddy Water over Scald, because at +2, a spread attack is so good to have, but I switched to Scald around battle 80, because I knew that eventually, a Muddy Water miss would be my downfall. Whenever the occasion is right, passing the boosts straight from Eevee to Tapu Fini is also viable, as one of the replays below highlights. Moonblast shouldn't need reasoning, it's Fini's best attack, both powerful and reliable. Protect allows Krookodile to Earthquake freely, provides free Leftovers recovery, and helps maneuver around sticky situations.
I looked into several Psych Up users that could be used over Fini, but ultimately, the Misty Surge support is just too important for the team to let go.

@ Sitrus Berry

Adamant | Intimidate
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpDef / 20 Spe
Power Trip / Knock Off / Earthquake / Protect

The sweeper. After baton passing Eevee's boosts into Krookodile, it's pretty much over. Almost nothing in the Tree can take a boosted Power Trip, even Pokémon that resist it:
+2 252+ Atk Krookodile Power Trip (220 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Togekiss: 199-234 (103.6 - 121.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Krookodile Power Trip (220 BP) vs. 168 HP / 168 Def Toxapex: 237-280 (162.3 - 191.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Krookodile Power Trip (220 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Steelix-Mega: 184-217 (101 - 119.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Krookodile Power Trip (220 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Carbink: 135-159 (108 - 127.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Krookodile Power Trip (220 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Umbreon: 176-207 (87.1 - 102.4%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
...the list goes on. Any Pokémon that doesn't get OHKOed is easily 2HKOed.
Very few Pokémon get access to Power Trip, and Krookodile is the only one that's truly viable for a long streak. It also has the advantage of a very good defensive synergy with Tapu Fini. Earthquake can score double-KOs when it's super effective, or when one of the opponents is already weakened. Knock Off is a failsafe move in case the Extreme Evoboost plan fails, since Power Trip is terribly weak without the boosts. Being able to get rid of items is also generally very useful. Protect can allow some nice positioning, as Tapu Fini can Psych Up the boosts through the Protect, so if both Pokémon on the opposing field threaten Krookodile and not Fini, using Protect+Psych Up enables a double-KO on the following turn. The given EV spread allows Krookodile to reach 230 speed with the boosts, outspeeding everything in the Tree except Terrakion2, Entei3, Garchomp3, Manectric4 and Aerodactyl1. Manectric isn't too much of a threat to Krookodile, and the rest is handled by Fini pretty easily (also, most of these are choice scarfed and can be played around). I did my first streak with Moxie as the ability, as a single Moxie boost is enough for Krookodile to OHKO absolutely anything that isn't sashed. But after giving Intimidate a try, I think it's way too important to give up, it's one of the best Doubles ability for a reason. When Clefairy gets KOed on turn 1, I can actually get 2 Intimidates in a single turn, and this can make such a big difference (see replays). I tried several items (Leftovers at first, then a 50% berry, even a Shell Bell), but Sitrus is just perfect for it, as boring and standard as it is.

Threat list

Obviously, there are several threats to a team that relies on setting up so heavily. At first, I thought critical hits were the biggest threat to the team and that I would eventually lose to that, but as it turns out, the team's natural bulk helps it power through most of the unfortunate critical hits it has to endure, and it wasn't that big of a problem in the end.

• Phazing: Very early on, I realized that the team was powerless against Whirlwind and Roar. As a matter of fact, the team's 2 early losses were to that. However, most of the teams using Roar and Whirlwind can be played around if one can predict properly. It's important to recognize the threats on turn 1, and to not boost with Eevee before taking care of the phazers. After struggling with phazers so much early on, I thought the team was doomed to never go far into the Tree. But then, I found out that almost all the sets with Roar and Whirlwind (if not all!) are sets 1 and 2, which means they are never seen after battle 50 (maybe even 40?). What a relief! This leaves Dragon Tail and Clear Smog (specifically Amoongus4) as the only phazing to fear later on. Dragon Tail can be played around pretty easily with Clefairy and Tapu Fini, which leaves Amoongus4 as the one huge threat to the team. I only faced it once, but I had to plan each turn and predict heavily around it. Sadly, I didn't save that replay; I tend to button mash way too often between battles :(
• Grass types: If Clefairy gets KOed too early, Grass types put a lot of pressure on the team and are very tough to play around. The loss at 248 is a perfect example of it. In particular, I should mention Venusaur as one of the biggest threats to the team in general, it's been a nightmare to deal with every time I faced it.
• Taunt: Obviously, Clefairy doesn't like to get taunted. But if it gets taunted turn 1, Eevee most likely got the boosts, and is now fast enough to Baton Pass before getting taunted itself on turn 2, so Krookodile is the one getting taunted, which isn't a problem (I still haven't faced a case of Eevee getting successfully taunted). Switching out Clefairy after a Taunt is annoying but I have yet to face a situation where it truly punished me for it.
• Flinches: Fast threats that flinch Eevee (Greninja3 and Aerodactyl1 stick out) on the first turns are very annoying, and with enough bad luck, they could ruin the team's dreams. Slaking4 isn't as bad, since it can only flinch on turn 1, after which turn 2 is Truant. Fake Out is also annoying and usually goes into Eevee, but it's rarely a big deal, since Eevee can usually safely boost on turn 2.
• Blizzard: As a spread move, Blizzard will hit Eevee, and also Krookodile on the switch, despite Clefairy's redirection. The real threat isn't Blizzard itself, as it can be tanked, but a crit Blizzard on Krookodile or a freeze on any of the 2 is a huge problem. For this reason, I have gotten into the habit of switching Clefairy into Tapu Fini or simply passing the boosts directly to Tapu Fini (depending on the situation) just to get the safety of Misty Surge against freezes.
• Perish Song: I only faced one Perish Song user (replay is below), but it was very scary. It can probably be played around most of the time, but requires some serious thought.
• Bulldoze, Icy Wind, Tailwind: Speed control from the opponent can prevent Krookodile from outspeeding everything, making things less safe.
• Competitive Milotic: Krookodile's Intimidate comes with the drawback of activating Competitive, and Cynthia's Milotic loves to spam Surf, which is very scary to Krookodile, though Tapu Fini doesn't mind as much.
• General hax: Thanks to Follow Me, Clefairy is on the receiving end of all kinds of paralysis and confusion shenanigans, and this can make things unsafe for Eevee/Krookodile. Once again, though, Misty Surge is a big help is preventing this from hurting the team too much.
• Setup sweepers: When facing setup sweepers as a lead, they may go for Dragon/Quiver dance while Eevee sets up, making them a big threat to Krookodile once it hits the field. In particular, as funny as it might sound, Ribombee has been the scariest thing to go against (I lost my streak of 86 to it).
• OHKO moves & evasion: If Sheer Cold or the likes hits Clefairy on turn 1, and Krookodile on turn 2, the team is in a very bad spot (obviously). It didn't happen to me, but it could have! Bright Powder, Lax Incense, Double Team, Minimize... it's all very annoying, but if you focus on taking them out from early on, you will need some serious bad luck to struggle with these, as Krookodile can OHKO any of them.

One thing to keep in mind is that all these threats are only threats as a lead. Once Krookodile is setup, it doesn't matter if the Pokémon the team fears the most are in the back, they will be OHKOed before they can do anything.

Replays

• Battle #99 vs. Dancer Carrie: HGTW-WWWW-WWW6-R9G3. This battle actually highlights the way the team functions regularly. About 80% of the battles are similar to this one, though Tapu Fini often has to come in replacement of Clefairy.
• Battle #120 vs. Wally: 8WUW-WWWW-WWW6-R9FQ. I had to save this replay just because that Outrage damage made me laugh. For some reason, almost all of my "boss" battles were against Wally and Cynthia, with Plumeria and Sina as occasionals. I genuinely didn't see anyone else than these 4 during this run (well, except Blue of course) o.o
• Battle #149 vs. Preschooler Victor: J7VW-WWWW-WWW6-R9FL. I saved this battle as an example of when Baton Passing into Tapu Fini is better than into Krookodile. In this case, I knew Dragon Tail was incoming (all phazers try to phaze out the Eevee slot after it boosts), so going into Krookodile would have made me lose all of my boosts. Obviously, Tapu Fini had a phenomenal matchup against this entire team as well.
• Battle #183 vs. Worker Omar: YQ9G-WWWW-WWW6-R9FH. What a scary battle! As you may notice, I completely misplayed from lack of attention, and hard switched my boosted Eevee into Krookodile, though with the critical hit on that turn, that misplay ended up not mattering at all. Tapu Fini comes to the rescue and shows its power, assisted by Eevee.
• Battle #188 vs. Punk Guy Dustin: VLXG-WWWW-WWW6-R9FC. This battle is an example of getting a double Intimidate in a single turn, and how much it can matter (feat. Krookodile tanking a Play Rough from Mega Mawile).
• Battle #201 vs. Golfer Patrick: VH6W-WWWW-WWW6-R9ET. Eevee flinching turn 1 - whenever it got hit by Rock Slide turn 1, Eevee just flinched, every single time. I came to expect it after a while. FeelsBadMan
• Battle #244 vs. Hiker Vivek: 4M7W-WWWW-WWW6-R9EY. For some reason the 240-250 stretch was really interesting, every battle featuring some of the team's biggest threats, but very different ones every time. In this particular example, I go against Trick Room, and that's the perfect occasion to showcase how good After You on Clefairy is. I faced many Trick Room teams/trainers before this battle, but they almost never went for Trick Room.
• Battle #247 vs. Lass Inez: GZLG-WWWW-WWW6-R9EC. Once again, I make the read that Baton Passing into Tapu Fini is a safer move, which ends up working out. Krookodile is actually still very good without the boosts, and I guess this battle kind of shows the team's good synergy.
• Battle #248 vs. Office Worker Darrel: WRGW-WWWW-WWW6-R9EA. Really scary battle against Perish Song for the first time. Going for the KO on Florges or switching Krookodile out on the last turn of Perish Song was a huge dilemma, especially since I didn't know the opponent's 4th Pokémon. I believe I made the right choice, though.
• Battle #249 vs. Young Athlete Thamina: G7TW-WWWW-WWW6-R8FQ. I have no regrets on this loss, I don't think it could have been avoided other than by luck (Hydro Pump or Leaf Storm missing), and it highlights the team's unfortunate weakness to Grass.

All in all, I am really happy with this streak. As one-dimensional as the team appeared at first, I discovered over time that it was actually very flexible. 80% of the battles went exactly the same way: Follow Me + Extreme Evoboost on turn 1, Follow Me/Psych Up + Baton Pass on turn 2, sweep on the following turns. But learning to navigate around the different threats, learning to handle the other 20% of the battles, was a ton of fun and required some serious thought and prediction - as satisfying as OHKOing everything with Power Trip also was. I will say, though, that I've had my fair share of the Tree for a while, and won't visit it for some time now :P

 

[Legolax]

Has anyone had any experiences with Eeveepass teams?

I tried a comp with Clefairy+Eevee+M-Gyarados+A-Marowak, but found too many crappy Roar users (me cries). When it worked, M-Gyarados was invincible doing 1v4 lol. When it didn't work, I struggled a bit against Paralysis (sometimes A-Marowak helped) and Freeze.

Probably I'll try Tapu Fini in place of A-Marowak with Psych-Up and helping M-Gyarados with Misty Terrain, or some crappy Pokemon with Heal Bell.
I had a really low streak but I wanted to test the idea before going deeper into it. And I found that there are too many Roar users, lol.

Has anyone done decently/well with a team like that? What were your sweepers?

EDIT: Ninja'd, didn't check the next page of the thread, lol

 

[RNGIsFatal]

Has anyone done decently/well with a team like that? What were your sweepers?

I won't say Eeveepass is viable AT ALL. Unless you have inseparable love and obsession towards Eevee, you can't make them work. Phazing moves are everywhere like you said, and Taunt will just keep Eevee from Baton Passing.

Pass the boost to Krookodile, who becomes a monster with Power Trip, strong Mega such as Mega Salamence or Mega Gyarados, or any Psychic-type user with Stored Power but not on stuff like Marowak which is slow with boosts.

 

[Altissimo]

I won't say Eeveepass is viable AT ALL. Unless you have inseparable love and obsession towards Eevee, you can't make them work. Phazing moves are everywhere like you said, and Taunt will just keep Eevee from Baton Passing.

I'm sorry, but to be completely honest I really can't trust that you have a good opinion of what goes on in the Battle Tree when you are claiming 450 wins (which, by the way, would put you second on the current leaderboard) with a team that includes... stealth rock garchomp... with rock tomb which has less than 100% accuracy... and something with life orb, a very fickle item... and a Mega Evolution that has no protection whatsoever for when it Mega Evolves... and no battle videos whatsoever.

 

[Level 51]

Team

Hey! Thanks for sharing your team, but I was just thinking it looked like it had some weird choices that left it open to a few key threats in the Tree. In particular, I'm thinking about Omastar-4, especially since it can get a Shell Smash up fairly easily against Bisharp or Garchomp; similarly, Azumarill-3 seems like a significant threat with its access to Belly Drum + Aqua Jet, which looks like it could tear through your team fairly fast. Did you run into these threats often, and if / when you did, how did you deal with them?

 

[RNGIsFatal]

Hey! Thanks for sharing your team, but I was just thinking it looked like it had some weird choices that left it open to a few key threats in the Tree. In particular, I'm thinking about Omastar-4, especially since it can get a Shell Smash up fairly easily against Bisharp or Garchomp; similarly, Azumarill-3 seems like a significant threat with its access to Belly Drum + Aqua Jet, which looks like it could tear through your team fairly fast. Did you run into these threats often, and if / when you did, how did you deal with them?

Thank you for fast reply.

I am still somewhat of a novice in the Battle Tree, and with crazy fortune that is hardly believable, I didn't face much Fairy-types, and the most notable threat, Terrakion, was not present.

I faced Azumarill once and after Garchomp used Earthquake, my Bisharp took it out, and luckily, that set was not a Belly Drum.

I actually lost my streak after I lost to Terrakion about 10 matches later. I had too lucky opponents to face as a beginner.

Speaking of threats, I replaced Mega Charizard Y with Mega Metagross and Bisharp with Tapu Bulu; that way, I can face aforementioned threats better.

Thanks again for feedback, and I heard some of you talking about Hall of Fame about streaks... I do not know much about it and I am not interested in that at all due to me not having 3DS but playing Sun and Moon in computer using Citra Emulator.

Edit:
Sorry forgot to explain, using Citra means I can get neither a code nor replay. I just wanted to share my experience.

 

[GG Unit]

Thank you for fast reply.

I am still somewhat of a novice in the Battle Tree, and with crazy fortune that is hardly believable, I didn't face much Fairy-types, and the most notable threat, Terrakion, was not present.

I faced Azumarill once and after Garchomp used Earthquake, my Bisharp took it out, and luckily, that set was not a Belly Drum.

I actually lost my streak after I lost to Terrakion about 10 matches later. I had too lucky opponents to face as a beginner.

Speaking of threats, I replaced Mega Charizard Y with Mega Metagross and Bisharp with Tapu Bulu; that way, I can face aforementioned threats better.

Thanks again for feedback, and I heard some of you talking about Hall of Fame about streaks... I do not know much about it and I am not interested in that at all due to me not having 3DS but playing Sun and Moon in computer using Citra Emulator.

Edit:
Sorry forgot to explain, using Citra means I can get neither a code nor replay. I just wanted to share my experience.

 

[ReptoAbysmal]

Thank you for fast reply.

I am still somewhat of a novice in the Battle Tree, and with crazy fortune that is hardly believable, I didn't face much Fairy-types, and the most notable threat, Terrakion, was not present.

I faced Azumarill once and after Garchomp used Earthquake, my Bisharp took it out, and luckily, that set was not a Belly Drum.

I actually lost my streak after I lost to Terrakion about 10 matches later. I had too lucky opponents to face as a beginner.

Speaking of threats, I replaced Mega Charizard Y with Mega Metagross and Bisharp with Tapu Bulu; that way, I can face aforementioned threats better.

Thanks again for feedback, and I heard some of you talking about Hall of Fame about streaks... I do not know much about it and I am not interested in that at all due to me not having 3DS but playing Sun and Moon in computer using Citra Emulator.

Edit:
Sorry forgot to explain, using Citra means I can get neither a code nor replay. I just wanted to share my experience.

psst... Azumarill has not a single enemy moveset to encounter in the tree.

It was an amusing and creative way to prove you're full of shit.

 

[SilverLining]

Was there this much trouble in the Battle Maison with hacking streaks? I don't remember there being this much happening in that thread. Perhaps it's the rise of PKHex's Battle Tree streak manipulation addition that has everyone thinking they can get away with ridiculous "streaks" in this thread. It seems kind of sad that people resort to doing that instead of, you know, actually making a team and going through the trials and tribulations of running it and tweaking it after many battles. Isn't that more fun? To say that you made a team (or tested someone else's and gave proper credit) and got however far you got on your own merit seems like it'd be more worth it than to say you had a streak that you really didn't. I guess it just has to do with the pride and "status," if you will, that comes with having a streak above most other people.

It also sort of ruins the entire point of having threads like these. The Battle Tree thread (much like the Maison, Subway, and Frontier threads before it) is here so that people enthusiastic about the particular generation's battle facility can discuss and teambuild, read write-ups and test other people's teams, all those things that so many of us enjoy. But much like it has been discussed before, a lot of it hinges on trust: people have teams they say they made and have streaks they say they achieved. And with all the hacking that has been uncovered since the advent of the Tree, that trust could very well be waning. Who knows, maybe there will come a time when anyone who posts a streak above maybe two hundred will immediately be seen as suspicious. Luckily for the thread, the people who have been caught have been obvious about it in some form, whether that be behavioral or the quality of the team or lack of proof, etc.

In order to keep this thread alive and well, it's probably best to reply to it only if you are an actual Battle Tree enthusiast (or an aspiring one, or someone who wants tips on how to get past Red and/or Blue, or someone with an otherwise legitimate reason). This thread really has no place for people who cheat, and there are enough of us here who actually know things about the Tree so that those that still feel that they can get away with cheating will not. Perhaps my words don't carry that much weight since I don't have that much of a presence here, but after hanging around the thread and reading about the streaks of many veterans in this facility and its predecessors, I think it's fair for me to say that the cheated streaks we see here are a combination of funny, silly, and stupid, and it really puts a damper on many people, including those who come here for tips about success in the Tree or those of us who are actually striving for the top ranking with teams we've spent many battles testing and changing, not to mention the moderators that have to come in here and repeat the rules time and again about how cheating is not allowed when that really should just be obvious.

This is not directed at the latest case, but rather it is just some musings after seeing yet another person caught. The point is: don't cheat. The Tree is more fun if you don't.

 

[Altissimo]

psst... Azumarill has not a single enemy moveset to encounter in the tree.

It was an amusing and creative way to prove you're full of shit.

tbh I'm surprised we haven't used that method before (or have we and I just didn't notice??)

 

[CrowAtDawn]

People are out here talking about their wins in the 400s and I'm just content with my 50 winstreak in Super Singles :V

Mimikyu (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Disguise
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 31/31/31/X/31/31
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw
- Shadow Sneak
- Play Rough

Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body -> Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31
- Zen Headbutt
- Bullet Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Hammer Arm

Primarina (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 31/X/31/31/31/31
- Hydro Pump
- Surf
- Psychic
- Moonblast

Unfortunately I can't share any of the replays because I haven't updated my 3DS yet, but I figured I'd share the team anyways. Also just note that all of these were bred prior to Pokebank and haven't been changed since. This is also why I'm running Hydro Pump instead of a hidden power on Primarina, because I've basically never clicked Hydro Pump (out of fear). Speedy Primarina has been working out for me, and the Adamant nature on Metagross hasn't bit me in the ass yet. Electric types and Ground Types aren't fun for this team as I don't have a resist for either. I didn't run into a Landorus in the first 50 battles, but I assume I auto lose if my Mimikyu's Disguise is broken.

EDIT: Everything is updated now and here are a couple of the replays.
No. 50 right here.
4FYG-WWWW-WWW6-SB6N
Almost had a heart attack this was so intense. Note to self, Primarina isn't bulky enough to take that kind of punishment.
47TG-WWWW-WWW6-SB5L
Earliest replay I have of his, might as well throw it in.
69VG-WWWW-WWW6-SB9Z

 

[Maunzi]

[7:31 PM] stef: I just hit 336 wins, so now I have the second highest known Phero/Lele streak
[7:31 PM] stef: yay

[8:09 PM] stef: well and now i actually lost at 338 lmao...

Fuck...

So I got 337 wins with this team, Video of Battle 338: VZWG-WWWW-WWW6-S6J9
I'll just do a small and quick writeup, since Phero/Lele should already be pretty known by now with 6 entries on the doubles leaderboard so far. Credits to turskain for coming up with the combination and Level 51 for popularizing it and because I basically used his team haha.

The Team:

Tapu Lele @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 52 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Moonblast
- Energy Ball

I decided to go with Scarf Lele so in most matchups I could set up Phero to get a kill T1, so I could basically start the battle in a 4v3 with +1 Atk Phero. At first I used the same set as Josh C. uses in his Team Sharkanine (Modest 12 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 236 Spe) but after only a few matches I wanted to switch to Timid, so I could outspeed more stuff. Modest 236 Scarf gets Lele to 217 speed, while Timid 196 gets it to 231. With this increase I can just OHKO Electrode-34 before they can move, outspeed Rotom-Fan-4 so I don't have to worry about it flinching me to death with Air Slash and weaken Typhlosion-4's Eruption before it can even use it once. With Timid it misses out on a few KOs, but that's OK since Phero can just clean up after it and grab the free +1 Atk boost.
I didn't use Energy Ball that often, so I thought a bit about replacing it with something, but I didn't really see the need in any of the possible replacements. Thunderbolt is only better vs Gyarados-3, which is not that much of a problem. Shadow Ball is meh and Aegi already has it. HP Fire is highly situational and doesn't make that much damage to anything but a 4x weakness. So most times I would be better off just switching into Mence, dropping the Atk of Scizor/Ferro/Escavalier, tank the possible Steel move and use Flamethrower the next turn. Psyshock could be good to hit some things for physical damage, but Phero does this pretty good already, even when it is still at +0 Atk.
The other 3 moves contributed a lot to the streak, so replacing one of them never came to mind. Psychic just the best STAB and gets boosted by Terrain, Moonblast the best single target Fairy STAB, which is needed to grab a few important KO's and Dazzling Gleam was really good in doing a little bit of chip damage to something Phero just misses out on the OHKO and doing good amount of damage to both opponents, when they are both weak to it (which didn't happen that often, but often enough).

Pheromosa @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 12 SpA / 244 Spe
Lonely Nature
IVs: 0 HP / 12 Def / 7 SpD
- Lunge
- Ice Beam
- Low Kick
- Protect

Just standard bait Phero. Lonely + max Atk so it gets the Atk boost when killing something, 244 Spe because it don't need the last point in speed and the rest in SpA. If possible gets set up by Lele to get a kill in T1 and when it got one or two boosts, I can just OHKO a lot opponents.

->

Salamence (M) @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpA / 244 Spe
Naive Nature
- Double-Edge
- Hyper Voice
- Flamethrower
- Protect

At first I had Mence with Return/Hyper Voice/DD/Protect, but changed it pretty quickly to Mixmence, because I never got any DDs up. Because no DD and no +Atk nature I went for Double Edge, so it could just do as much damage as possible. Hyper Voice was mainly for cleaning up stuff and simultaneously doing damage to the other opponent and Flamethrower was the much needed Fire coverage. Still misses out on most KOs even vs opponents 4x weak to fire, but going for Fireblast wasn't really an option.
EVs are basically just max/max, but took out 8 Spe EVs because I didn't want to speedtie Alakazam-4, Dugtrio-12, Salamence-4 and Sceptile-3 anyway, so I thought could just tak 8 EVs out, which is an empty speed tier, 1 point faster than Hawlucha-4. In hindsight if I just ran max Spe I could have maybe won the match 338 if I win a speed tie... Or I should have taken out 8 more EVs, because Hawlucha-4 is not a problem for this team so it would have been no problem if it wins the tie vs Mence (and let Mence get SE-critted every time it meets Hawlucha-4... meh)
In a drunken state I thought about switching the set to Jolly DE/Sub/Roost/Protect, which would give me safe win-conditions vs Zapdos-2, Cresselia-2 and Blissey-4, since most of my close calls were vs one of these 3 sets (especially Zapdos-2 and Blissey-4, since Cresselia can get nuked by Z-Shado Ball most of the times) but dunno haha.

->

Aegislash (M) @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
EVs: 228 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 12 SpD / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
- King's Shield

At first I ran Quiet Aegi with Shadow Sneak, because I thought "when it comes in at the end of the battle, Psychic Terrain should already be gone or I can stall out the last 1-2 turns of it", but in practice that just didn't really work that well and after a 90 Minute stand-off vs Chari-34 and Entei-1234 leads, where Wide Guard would've really helped me in case it was CharY + Scarf-Entei I changed it. Btw it was CharY, but not Scarf-Entei and in the end I won it easily, but 3 weaks later the same matchup returned and this time it was Scarf-Entei with Eruption and Wide Guard really helped winning that match. EVs are to hit an empty speed-tier (82, 1 point faster than Megatar), to prevent Porygon-2/Z from getting a SpA boost with Download, max SpA and rest in HP.



How I lost:
338 Naya Goodra-4 Heatran-4 Uxie-3 Salamence-M-4 (Video: VZWG-WWWW-WWW6-S6J9)
[8:11 PM] stef: was a mixture of some weird moves by the ai, maybe not the best move choices from me and 1 quick claw activation
[8:26 PM] stef: Heatran-34 + Goodra-34 leads, so I Moonblast Goodra and Low Kick Heatran, it is Scarf Heatran-4 so I lose Phero to a double target, while I killed Heatran and did >60% to Goodra.
In comes Uxie-34 and I bring in Mence. So I thought Uxie would most likely attack Mence so I protected Mence and KOd Goodra, while Uxie Shadow Ball'd Lele and got the SpD drop.
Last Pokémon is Mence-34. If it's Mega-Mence-4 and Quick Claw won't activate I could just double into it and win with Aegi. But if it's Mence-3 and Protects my double target or Quick Claw from Uxie get triggered or both and I double into Mence I just lose. So I thought I would tank the DM/Dragon Rush aimed at my Mence with a switch to Aegi and Moon Blast Uxie, so it is in KO Range from a Double Edge from Mence. Turns out it is Mega-Mence-4 and it Double Edges into Lele(?!?) killing it, so switched in Aegi took a Shadow Ball + SpD drop to the face.
So next turn I brought back my Mence obv. Wanted to Double Edge Uxie so after that it's a 1v1 Aegi vs Mence, which I should win. But Quick Claw activates and put Aegi into the reds (or low orange) and the opposing Mence EQs (?!?) killing Aegi. So now it is a 1v1 between 2 Mega-Mence and since I am slower and can't OHKO I was fucked.

Like the last time, I documented my journey in my Spreadsheet found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UrPBHYrhm380umaQaMxsvsRH2h7xVvKEcoyaLXLbiN8/
If you are interested in reading about some other matches I had along the way, you can do it there for now. There are even 2 more Phero/Lele runs in this sheet (168 wins and 124 wins, but I didn't take that many notes for both), Maybe I'll update this post later tonight or this weekend with some more stuff, restructure the Spreadsheet a bit and upload the team as a QR-Team.
(Edit: Spreadsheet restructured; Link to QR-Team: https://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/rentalteam/BT-4EA0-B18E)

Thanks for reading.

 

[xSilentDeviL]

Hey everyone, I’m here to speak on my ongoing streak of 200 Wins in Super Doubles with a team consisting of Pheromosa/Tapu Lele/Garchomp/Mega Metagross. I’d first like to give a shutout to Level 51 and turskain for helping influence this team with fantastic runs of their own.

Proof

Opening Notes

I really liked the idea of Pheromosa with Sash and Protect to bait opponents and grab Beast Boosts while Tapu Lele summons Psychic Terrain to guard Pheromosa from priority attacks. I also was a fan of having a Dragon and Steel type in the back to form a F/D/S core, with Mega Salamence and Aegislash being the go-to choices. A bunch of people already have over a 300-win streak in Super Doubles with Pheromosa/Tapu Lele/Aegislash/Mega Salamence (there was one just posted as I was writing this up lol, congrats Maunzi) so I decided I wanted to switch things up a bit. Mega Metagross was my immediate choice as he has a very high attack that can also take advantage of Psychic Terrain with Zen Headbutt. Metagross also takes advantage of the new mega evolution speed mechanic greatly, having base 110 right off the bat. Finally, Metagross is my favorite Pokemon and I even bred a Shiny flawless one in my Omega Ruby so I knew I wanted to use him. For my Dragon, I originally went with a Dragon Dance Dragonite with Lum Berry. I liked the idea of having at least one member with a setup move, however on my first run with the team I rarely clicked DD. Although Dragonite is great at sponging just about any hit with Multiscale, he was a bit too weak and slow without a boost for me. The team went on a 102-win streak before losing to a Trick Room team. Although I blame the way I played the first few turns in the loss instead of the team itself, I wanted to try someone else instead of Dragonite, as he certainly seemed like the weakest member of the team. I also wanted to abuse a Z-move, which Dragonite prevented me from doing, as my Tapu Lele runs Scarf, Mosa needs Sash and Metagross needs his Mega Stone. Enter Garchomp. The land shark has been an awesome addition to the team, having great speed, bulk and power. I knew I wanted to use Groundium Z on him, as that allows him to target one enemy when using Earthquake instead of always having to Protect with Metagross and Pheromosa. Additionally, if I bring out Garchomp with Lele on the field and I need to use Earthquake, Lele is going to get hit too (again Choice Scarf set that obviously doesn’t run Protect). Additionally, having such a powerful move that always hits (barring Flying types and levitators) and ignores evasion boosts is amazing. Now that I’ve explained why I decided to go with these four, let me go a bit more into detail on their movesets:

The team

Pheromosa @

Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 6 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Lunge
- Low Kick
- Ice Beam
- Protect

Mixed Sash Pheromosa is a monster. With a Naughty Nature and max attack EVs, she grabs an attack boosts whenever she gets a kill, which I much preferred over a speed boost. . Even without a +Speed boosting nature, a ridiculous 151 base stat and max speed EVs make her quick enough to out pace almost everything in the Battle Tree. Since she is so frail, lowering her special defense doesn’t matter since almost any attack, resisted or not, is going to knock her down to her Sash. This also allows her to go mixed and still hit pretty damn hard on the special side. I chose Lunge as my Bug STAB for the nice attack drop on opponents. Low Kick was chosen as the reliable Fighting STAB. I decided to go with Ice Beam over a straight physical attacking Pheromosa with Poison Jab for Ices much better coverage, especially considering the high amount of Flying types the Battle Tree loves to throw out against Pheromosa. Poison Jab is almost only useful to hit Fairy Types, which this team is already well equipped to take on as I’ll get to later. Protect is so amazing for baiting opponents, especially when she is down to 1 HP. Often times both opponents will target her, allowing Tapu Lele or whoever is paired with her to get in a free hit for that turn.

Tapu Lele @

Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power Fire

So after playing around with different Tapu Lele sets, I knew Choice Scarf was the way to go. First and most importantly, this allows Tapu Lele to be faster than Pheromosa. This is vital as it allows Tapu Lele to do enough that Pheromosa can clean up and get the attack boost on something, if it doesn’t just straight up OHKO something of course. The big threats that I can think of (but certainly not limited to) that the Scarf is very important for allowing Lele to OHKO or do enough for Pheromosa to clean are Latios/Latias, all three of the Swords of Justice, Azelf-3 with Focus Sash, Crobat, Salamence-3 with Yache berry and a Timid nature (but be careful double targeting because it has Protect), Garchomp-2 with Focus Sash and a Hasty Nature, Gallade-4 (Mega Gallade) and so many others. Psychic and Moonblast chosen for obvious STAB, and man do they hit hard, especially Psychic under the terrain. Shadow Ball is very important to do good damage to bulky Psychic and Ghost types such as Slowking (Mega) Slowbro, Reuniclus, and Musharna, Uxie, Cresselia, Bronzong, Dusknoir and Cofagrigus. A lot of these can set up the dangerous Trick Room as well, so having Shadow Ball usually allows Lele to get them low enough for Pheromosa to clean with Lunge. To be honest, Hidden Power Fire was clicked very rarely, but there was one game that I was up against Ferrothorn-2 with Curse, Rest and Chesto Berry that it saved me. I had managed to get in a Low Kick before Mosa went down that did decent damage after maybe one Curse or so and figured Tectonic Rage from Garchomp would do the rest. Then it used Rest and woke right back up and I got nervous. I immediately switched out my Lele (who was locked into something else), and eventually get her back in and finished the job with HP Fire.

Mega Metagross @

Ability: Tough Claws (Clear Body)
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Thunder Punch
- Ice Punch
- Protect

Metagross is the Mega of the team and he’s been nothing short of fantastic. He really just has everything going for him; excellent stats, great typing, amazing coverage and not one but two useful abilities (seriously Clear Body can be very valuable against Intimidate users the turn he is sent out). Jolly nature I feel is the much-preferred nature over Adamant for out speeding as much as possible. Since I bred this in Omega Ruby, I was able to teach him tutor moves. Iron Head over Meteor Mash for the consistency, while the 30% flinch rate is pretty cool too. It’s the main way I deal with Fairy types on this team, but is also useful for hitting things like I wanted both Ice and Thunder Punch for the famous Bolt/Beam coverage. Everyone knows how useful Ice typing is offensively and there’s a reason out of the 16 move slots available for my team, two of them are for Ice coverage. It just hits so much super effectively and it’s a great backup to Pheromosa’s Ice beam if she goes down or needs to switch out. For example, Metagross is able to switch into Landorus-2 or Garchomp-3 that go for Extrasensory and Outrage respectively, sponge it up easily and OHKO right back. Or if I only have Metagross and Garchomp left and the opponent has something like a Gliscor or Zapdos, I’d be in real trouble without Ice Punch. Thunder Punch was manly chosen for bulky Water types. Things like Suicune, Primarina, Gyarados, Jellicent and even Pelipper pretty much wall Pheromosa and can eat a hit from Tapu Lele. Also very useful for Moltres and Charizard-Y who are both very dangerous and only take neutral damage from Ice Punch. Lastly, Skarmory would be a major issue for this team without Thunder Punch since I have to rely on Hidden Power Fire from Lele, which I really don’t like to lock myself into unless I absolutely have to, or Low Kick from Pheromsa that doesn’t do too much without a boost. It straight up walls Garchomp as well. For the last slot, I originally had Zen Headbutt to abuse the Physic Terrain boost, which combined with STAB + Tough Claws off a 145 attack, it hit like a truck. However when I dropped Dragonite in favor of Garchomp, I knew I needed to drop something for Protect in order to avoid being hit by Earthquake when not using Tectonic Rage. It obviously wasn’t going to be Iron Head, so I had to choose between Thunder Punch, Ice Punch and Zen Headbutt. Nothing else on my team has Electric coverage so I wanted to keep that, since Lele has Psychic coverage and Mosa has Ice Beam. It was decided that although Zen Headbutt offers more power, Ice Punch has way better coverage and can’t miss like Zen Headbutt (I really like to stay away from imperfect accurate moves, the Battle Tree already has enough hax with Minimize and Bright Powder etc.). There’s also the fact that Pheromosa generally dies much more than Tapu Lele, so that backup Ice move is clutch. Losing Zen Headbutt really hasn’t been an issue at all and Protect has come in handy for much more than just guarding Metagross from my own Garchomp’s Earthquake, whether that be stalling out turns of Trick Room or baiting enemy attacks.

Garchomp @

Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Poison Jab
- Protect

Last we have Garchomp, who fit perfectly onto this team right away, after one small change. Originally I had Swords Dance over Poison Jab, but I never found myself needing to use it. Poison Jab is just another way for this team to deal with Fairies other than just relying on Metagross, and makes it so this set isn’t completely walled by things like Togekiss, Whimsicott and Shiinotic. One major advantage Garchomp has over other popular Dragons is that it isn’t a Flying type like Mega Salamence or Dragonite or a Levitator like Hydreigon. This is critical in that Psychic Terrain doesn’t protect you from priority if you’re off the ground, leaving the others vulnerable to things like Ice Shard or Fake-Out. I really like having the option of using Earthquake to hit both opponents or firing off a nuke on one of them, which doesn’t force me to Protect own Pokemon. This is key if Pheromosa goes down and I need to bring in Garchomp on something Metagross can’t touch like Darmanitan. Since I can’t Protect with my Tapu Lele or switch in Metagross, the single-targeting Tectonic Rage is fantastic. So far in 200 battles, I’ve never been in this situation more than once a battle. As mentioned earlier, having a Pokemon in the back with a move that will never miss, especially one with such power, eases a ton of pressure against enemies with Bright Powder or Minimize (I’m looking at you Blissey-4 with Chople Berry for Mosa’s Low Kick, Minimize, Mud Bomb, Toxic and Soft-Boil). Dragon Claw is definitely preferred in my opinion for being able to choose the target enemy you’re hitting and not being locked into a move. These can both certainly be a major deciding factor in winning or losing a streak, and the power difference between it and Outrage hasn’t been a problem at all. Finally, having a Pokemon immune to electric attacks such as Thunder Wave and Thunder is just another reason Garchomp is a perfect fit for this team.

Threat List

The biggest threats to this team are pretty much leads that can eat any two hits from Lele and Mosa first turn and do something dangerous other than just hitting Pheromosa down to its Sash. Examples include using a boosting move, setting up Trick Room or using a status move, potentially making Lele or Mosa dead weight. Other problems include things that can get off a hit before both Lele and Mosa, whether it be from a Choice Scarf, Quick Claw etc.


-Trick Room-

Trick Room is a major threat to this team, and the one that’s given me the most close calls, but somehow I always found a way out of it. If the opponent leads with anything that has a set with Trick Room, I will always double target them. Unfortunately there are quite a few things that can eat any two attacks from Tapu Lele and Pheromosa and get up the Trick Room such as Dusknoir, Cofagrigus, Cabrink, Aromatisse and Jellicent. In this case, I get as much damage off on them as possible and then either try and bait them with Pheromosa so Tapu Lele can get off another hit, or if Tapu Lele goes down or I find a way to switch her out, I’ll double protect every other turn to waste away the TR time and hopefully get rid of the Trick Room User the turn it disappears before they have a chance to set it up.


-Volcarona-

Volc dangerous as he can live any two hits from both Tapu Lele and Pheromosa turn one and set up a Quiver Danceor fire away a Heat Wave to knock Mosa down to her Sash (or even kill with a burn) while also damaging Lele. Again since she lives any two hits and Volcarona-2 has Protect, I advise not double targeting first turn. Generally I will switch Pheromosa to Garchomp and hit Voclarona with a Psychic from Lele, which does decent damage. From there I’ll go right for Tectonic Rage if a second Psychic doesn’t finish the job, for instance if Volcarona went for QD turn one. This will also allow me to preserve Pheromosa and her Sash for later.


-Rotom Forms-

The Rotom forms are truly a pain in the ass, besides Rotom Mow which Pheromosa can take care of, and Rotom Fan which can be taken out with a combination of Psychic and Ice Beam. However Rotom Heat, Wash and Frost (Low Kick does absolutely nothing to Frost due to Rotom’s low weight) can spam status moves such as Thunder Wave, Confuse Ray and Will-O-Wisp or set up Screens depending on which set they are. Some carry Sitrus berries which make them even harder to take down. Additionally, Rotom can also hit pretty hard with moves like Hydro Pump, Overheat, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse and Hex (when statused). Really such a pain to play around, especially since they have Levitate and I can’t Tectonic Rage with Garchomp. I’ll normally either target them with Lele if I can OHKO the other enemy straight up with Pheromosa and get the attack boost, or double target the other enemy if Mosa needs prior damage to finish them off get the boost. I then hope Rotom decided to go for an attacking move which is almost always on Pheromosa, live with the Sash and finish them off next turn. Thunder Wave on either or WoW on Mosa is pretty much the worst-case scenario, but even if those are the case I’m usually able to just revenge kill with Garchomp. Bottom line they’re annoying but generally will either status something or take down Pheromosa before being revenged.


-Electrode-

I really just don’t like seeing this thing. While it does die from a combination of Psychic and Lunge, it outspeeds Pheromosa which always allows it to get off a move, and there’s a ton of annoying things it can do. Between all four sets, there are a bunch of dangerous moves it can use such as Explode, Swagger, Thunder Wave, Light Screen, Mirror Coat which will take out Lele and Rain Dance (Electrode-4 with Rain Dance also has Damp Rock) to set up Swift Swimmers in the back like Kingdra and Mega Swampert for eight turns. It can also use Thunder, which always seems to paralyze something when it hits. Lastly, Electrode-2 & 3 run Protect, which can make you think twice about double targeting. Like Rotom it’s annoying af but generally won’t do much more than statusing something and possibly allowing its teammate to take out Pheromosa if they both decide to target her before going down. You can Protect with Phermosa first turn hoping Eletrode targets her, but if it goes for something like Thunder Wave, Swagger or Mirror Coat on Lele, you can really fuck yourself, so I wouldn’t recommend it.


-Minor Threats-

Those are all of the major threats that I can think of. There are a few other minor threats I’ve come across that are much easier to handle than the above Incineroar-4 with Quick Claw has gone right for the Flare Blitz on Pheromosa every single time. Unless the other enemy is faster than Pheromosa which is very rare, Mosa just finishes off Incineroar with Low Kick, but can go down the same turn if the Lele doesn’t take out the other enemy and they target Mosa with an attacking move. Manectric-4 runs Timid with a Choice Scarf which outspeeds Lele and Mosa, but has gone for Overheat on Pheromosa everytime I’ve come across it. There are a few ways to handle it depending on the other enemy partner. If you’re not too scared of the other enemy, you can Protect with Mosa turn one to bait Manectric and attack it with Lele. If the other enemy is a potential problem you can double target the other enemy and let Manectric hit you down to your Sash (and pray no burn), Protect turn two and bait the second overheat and finish Manectric off with Lele. If turn two the third enemy you once again need Lele to go after, switch Pheromosa to Garchmp as Overheat shouldn’t be doing shit at -1 anyway. Again just pray for no Burn. Zapdos-2 with Bright Powder can be a real pain if Psychic or Ice Beam misses and it starts getting up Double Team. This did happen to me where I missed Psychic but hit Ice Beam. Luckily turn two I hit my next Psychic and took it out. Alolan Ninetales-1 can be a problem as Hail takes away Pheromosa’s Sash and Blizzard is annoying and can’t miss, Aurora Veil is scary and it has Hypnosis. Luckily I have only faced it once where I switched out Mosa for Metagross as it went for Hypnosis and missed, and I OHKOed it with Iron Head next turn. Lastly, if you see a Typhlosion, just assume it’s the third set with Choice Scarf and Eruption and immediately target it with Lele, don’t fuck around with that thing.

So if you made it to this point in my post that’s awesome and I greatly appreciate it because I made this way longer than it should have been. Any suggestions are very welcome, and I’d love to answer any questions about the team. I will also come back and edit this post to provide a QR rental team for anyone to try out once I get my Pheromosa to level 100 and bottle cap her defenses because I’m a perfectionist like that and if I’m giving out a team I want it to be flawless. Again, thank you all so much for reading!

 

[Skullkid]

Hey all,

After a discord conversation, my two "trainee" teams were added to Smuckem's QR3 Post. I figured I should add a short writeup for them to give some context and basic reasoning for anyone who stumbles upon them. These are very basic and easy-to-pilot teams that are aimed at at complete beginners to the tree. They are meant for unlocking the super formats and teaching some tree basics.


Singles: Ash-Greninja / Tapu Lele / Buzzwole

This team was designed long before QR Rental Teams came out, so this team is designed to not only get you through the first 20 rounds of singles, but also to be easily duplicated for a new player with 0BP, no breeding setup, and imperfect Tapus/UBs. The natures aren't perfect and EVs aren't optimized beyond 252/252/4 to show that you don't need those to make it to super singles. It uses a Life Orb, Twisted Spoon, and Fightium Z - all of which can be found during the main game. All 3 mons are in general high quality. There's less focus on switching to make it easy to pilot (and for the same reason, it isn't likely to do well higher up in the tree).

Ash-Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Battle Bond
IVs: 20/31/20/31/20/31
EVs: 252 Spe / 128 Atk / 128 SpA
Mild Nature
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- U-Turn

This is a very vanilla Ash-Greninja with the EVs/IVs that all Ash-Greninja's come with. Surf is taken over scald for extra power to help with Battle Bond, as our lead generally won't have to worry about freeze hax. U-Turn is good for getting out of bad matchups, breaking sash/sturdy, and introduces attack-switch moves (which are generally overlooked by story players).

Tapu Lele @ Twisted Spoon
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Naive Nature
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Thunderbolt
- Energy Ball

Tapu Lele is another fairly standard and strong mon. Standard STABs with Psychic/Moonblast with a couple of coverage moves. We don't really get full use out of Psychic Surge's anti-priority like we would in doubles, but Psychic hitting like a truck is more than reason enough to run it.

Buzzwole @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Brave Nature
- Leech Life
- Poison Jab
- Ice Punch
- Superpower

Finally we have buzzwole. Buzzwole is a bit bulky on its own (especially with leech life) and has great offensive coverage. It also introduces one of the key strategies when it comes to Z moves, which is being able to use a move without the downsides. Players will be able to use Z-powered Superpower with extra damage and no downside, and then proceed to use superpower a second time before any stat drops happen. Given that the enemy has only 3 mons, the downsides of superpower are less relevant given that we'll likely have gotten 2 large hits in.



Doubles: Pheromosa / Tapu Lele / Mega Salamence / Aegislash

The doubles team concept also started before QR codes were released, but QR rentals were released right at the same time, so I ended up designing a team that could be easily made (Pheromosa/Tapu Lele/Celesteela/Tapu Fini - heavily based on Hervee's team and other phero/lele teams) and then providing a QR code for a slightly more refined team. Theres not really too much to go into here, its a standard Pheromosa/Tapu Lele lead that is designed to be pretty straightforward, teach you a bit about doubles, and help unlock super doubles. With how easy it is to pilot Psychic Terrain teams, its probably easy enough to start with Team Sharkanine or another Lele/fast sweeper team.

Pheromosa @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Lunge
- Low Kick
- Poison Jab
- Protect

Fairly standard Pheromosa. Focus sash makes it fairly safe to attack on turn 1 as its likely at least one opponent will die quickly between your leads on turn 1. Protect at 1HP is great bait. Poison Jab takes care of fairies.

Tapu Lele @ Psychium Z
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Thunderbolt
- Protect

A slightly different take than the scarf Lele lead. A STAB terrain-boosted Z-powered Psychic is going to erase things. It helps you get a kill turn 1 even if there are no weaknesses. Choice is almost certainly better for teams aiming to go higher, but timid lele is still going to outspeed most things in the first 20 battles.

Salamence @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate/Aerialate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return*
- Brick Break
- Earthquake
- Protect

Salamence is a great tree mon in general, and is a good way to introduce the importance of intimidate. *Return is the ideal move here, but with how friendship works with QR teams, it isn't max damage like it should be. It still should be more than enough with STAB + Aerialate to work for the first 20 matches. Return (Flying) and Earthquake have amazing coverage, so brick break really is rarely used. It adds supereffective on normal/ice/dark and will often be better for Flying hybrids which are immune to Ground and resist Flying (Skarmory, Aerodactyl, Minior, Rotom, etc) . The bonus of breaking barriers is nice as well.

Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Shadow Ball
- King's Shield
- Wide Guard

Aegislash is another great tree mon to get introduced to early. The Stance Change mechanics aren't immediately obvious, but learning them teaches a bit on how to abuse certain mechanics. Wide Guard is another great doubles move, and is a great way to support Salamence's Earthquake.


Overall, these aren't great teams. They aren't meant to be. They are for the players who are just finding their way into the tree. Its for those who aren't ready for 30+ turns of switching Salamence and Aegislash to stall PP in singles, but need something more than their story team.

 

[Torqan]

Finally got the stamp for Super Multi battles. Made it to 63 wins using Thundurus/Mega Gyrados and Wally using Scarfchompas my partner. He led with Scarfchomp backup Mega Gallade.

Multi-Battles are annoying. The AI just does some ridiculous things at times. Partnering with Scarfchomp locks him into a (hopefully) decent attack and hes just a strong nuke. Often just spams EQ until he dies. Mega Gallade is another quick nuke, hitting hard and fast.
I led with Thundurus and backup Mega Gyarados. I'll write a more complete write up when I can. Battle video is: 3PNW-WWWW-WWW6-SRFF


Thundurus @ life orb
Timid w/ Volt Absorb
252 SpA/252 Speed/ 6 def
-Flash Cannon
-Thunderbolt
-Dark Pulse
-Sludge Bomb

The original partner was a Vikavolt with an Assault Vest to partner with Wally's Scarfchomp. Levitate was great partnering with EQ Scarf but Vikavolt was just too slow so I tried a run with Thundurus and made it to 63. The idea behind this guy is to snipe off threats to Garchomp while also avoiding the friendly fire EQs. Flash Cannon for coverage against Ice (!!!) which is a huge danger to the front line. Thundurus hits hard and fast taking out threats before they can set up or sometimes fishing for Dark Pulse flinches to buy a turn. Thunderbolt is a strong STAB attack there to hit anything what may avoid Garchomp's EQ. Sludge bomb for Grass types that would give Mega Gyarados a problem.
Volt Absorb works great with my backup Mega Gyarados. Sometimes I can fish for electric attacks with Gyarados and heal some of Thundurus' health.

Gyarados @ Gyaradosite
Jolly w/ Intimidate
252 Atk/ 252 Speed/ 6 SpD
-Ice Fang
-Waterfall
-Crunch
-Dragon Dance

Pretty standard set, Waterfall and Crunch STAB attacks, Dragon Dance to grab a boost sometimes if Garchomp is going to nab the kill before I get a chance to attack. I usually don't evolve him if Garchomp is still alive and spamming EQ. Ice Fang was originally Substitute that I would try to set up behind but I wasn't able to do that as often as I had hoped. Ice Fang was useful in helping to kill off opposing dragons and flying types that would threaten Scarfchomp. The 95% accuracy hasn't been a huge factor but it worked for Multis. Awesome to be able to switch in for an Intimidate and not get hit by Garchomps EQ. Partners well with Mega Gallade, taking out opposing psychic pokemon that would be be a threat to Mega Gallade.

Wally's Pokemon

Garchomp Choice Scarf
Sand Veil
-Outrage
-Earthquake
-Fire Fang
-Crunch

Usually locks into EQ which is great because it's just a hard and fast nuke that hits both pokemon either killing them or severely weakening them enough for Thundurus to pick off. Sometimes locks into Outrage which is also fine because it's a nice and fast STAB nuke that I can still work around. It sucks when Garchomp gets locked into Fire Fang. It's just such a weak attack but luckily it doesn't happen too often. I can't think of a single time Garchomp has locked into Crunch, which again is awesome because for almost everything I would rather it locked into EQ or Outrage and keep going until it faints.

Gallade @ Galladite
Steadfast
-Psycho Cut
-Close Combat
-Rock Slide
-Destiny Bond

Another hard and fast nuke. Usually uses Psycho Cut or Close Combat until it dies.

 

[Shibayan]

Not sure if it's worth putting on here, but I just ended my super doubles run at 139. I shamelessly stole Josh C's excellent M-Sharpedo/Lele team from his 1000+ run to get my own 50 super doubles stamp run and then I kept going to scout good partners for my multi-battle stamp run.

Anyway, I seem to be having the worst luck finding decent partners because try as I might I cannot find one with a decent mega in the first two slots. Before I knew it I was up past 120+ battles without even trying for a record.

------------------

Battle 139 versus Scientist Tivon - TX4W-WWWW-WWW6-T4GN
My run stopped at 139 when I encountered a pure TR team. I basically made an incorrect call in deciding for some stupid reason that I couldn't kill off the Aromatisse TR setter without sacrificing M-Sharpedo to Conkeldurr so I thought it was safer to stall out the TR by switching out to the Arcanine.

Over the course of the TR, I basically traded 3 for 3 with the opponent until only M-Sharpedo was left. I thought I had it in the bag when it boiled down to a 1v1 with my full HP M-Sharpedo versus a 70% hp Reuniclus-3, except my Colbur-dampened Crunch left Reuniclus with literally 1hp and it then proceeded to OHKO my M-Sharpedo with Focus Blast.

In hindsight, I actually could've guaranteed a OHKO on the Aromatisse with neutral damage Psychic Fangs before TR went off (its defense was much lower than I expected) and have Lele take down Conkeldurr before it could revenge kill. Probably pays to look at the stat numbers a lot more closely in the heat of the battle but for some reason I thought Aromatisse was a lot tankier. Also, probably could have stalled out the 5 TR turns a bit better with fewer casualties.

------------------

Anyway, I'm still more bitter about not having scouted a decent AI partner than the actual loss, so I'm probably gonna retry at some point to see if I can get a M-Lucario or M-Metagross partner.

 

[greenpanda]

I'm putting together a team for Super Doubles and was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers?

I decided to use a Sunny Day/Drought-themed team as I've always had good luck with rain teams and thought sun would be more of a challenge. So far I've decided on a basic outline:

Garchomp @ Rockinium Z
Ability: Rough Skin
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Stone Edge/Rock Slide
Poison Jab
252 At/Spd, 6 HP (Adamant)

Standard Garchomp. I'm wavering between Dragonium Z or Rockinium Z but on balance Rockinium seems the better choice due to Stone Edge's shaky accuracy and the chance to eliminate fliers and ice types. Earthquake and Dragon Claw are standard, Poison Jab is for Fairies. As it's Doubles, Rock Slide is tempting to use for the flinch chance despite the lower base power.

Ninetales @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
Flamethrower
Solarbeam
Toxic
Protect
252 Sp.A/Spd, 6 HP (Timid)

My sun setter. Item choice is obvious, as are the first two moves - Toxic is for bulky walls, Protect lets Chomp EQ freely.

Zapdos Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Discharge
Heat Wave
Signal Beam
Light Screen
252 Sp.A, 152 HP, 106 Spd (Timid)

Discharge for the paralysis rate and the fact that it hits everyone, Heat Wave because it takes advantage of the sun, and Signal Beam for Darks/Psychics. Initially ran Detect but Light Screen provides a bit of general support for the team.

I have no idea what to use for the final slot, though - I was thinking of using a Mega, perhaps Charizard X or Kangaskhan, but also thought Tapu Lele might work well. Or perhaps something like Speed Boost Blaziken?

It's been so long since I've put a team together I feel like there's a few things I've probably forgotten about; I feel like the team so far has good synergy, but it's not quite there yet and I don't know if it's good enough to make it to 50 wins.

So yeah, any comments/suggestions would be wonderful, thanks in advance!

 

[Josh C.]

Thought it's about time I provide an update with my goings on in the Battle Tree, having extended my efforts towards Singles play as well; details on that shortly. As for Doubles, Team Sharkanine is still going strong at 1,600 wins and remains functionally unchanged from the last time I posted. However, I did take the time to breed for a Shiny Carvanha in order to show my adoration for the fish. The resulting purpley-pink Sharpedo in conjunction with Tapu Lele and the vivid hue of Psychic Terrain really bolsters the team's aesthetic appeal. An essential quality to have, I think.

-->

Battle No. 1,600 vs Colress: 39QG-WWWW-WWW6-T5UH

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First off, thanks have to go to Jumpman16 and by extension, his first post on this thread. You included a code for a single Battle Video right at the end of that Maison-related anecdote; something that didn't initially catch my attention, yet somehow I remembered to come back to it when I was looking for Singles ideas a month or so ago. And I'm glad I watched it, cause I was instantly hooked by the premise of adding Type: Null to the tried-and-tested Mega Salamence + Aegislash archetype. So I hope you don't mind that I've gone ahead and adopted said team with my first serious Singles foray, Fell Stinger Mega Beedrill notwithstanding. Which also reminds me, I'd like to know your thoughts on the Type: Null build I've settled with; only so much information can be gleaned from a BV, so it'd be interesting to see if our sets lie in the same ballpark. Given that 200 wins have been achieved so far with the team, I suppose it's time to formally introduce:

Type: Salaslash
​

Salamence (M) ("ImmenseSalad") @

Salamencite
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Intimidate --> Aerilate
IVs: 31/31/31/26/31/31 (Speed Bottle Capped iirc)
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 16 SpD / 236 Spe
- Dragon Dance
- Return
- Substitute
- Roost

Lv. 50 Stats

HP: 171
Attack: 187
Defense: 100
Sp. Attack: 115
Sp. Def: 102
Speed: 165

Default Jolly spread handily outspeeds Salazzle-3/4 as M-Mence. Substitute and Roost are staples for stalling PP and giving breathing room to set up. Oh, and OHKO moves.

Aegislash (M) ("ATK/DEF Mode") @

Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Stance Change
IVs: 31/31/31/0/31/31
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
- King's Shield
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Sneak
- Sacred Sword

Lv. 50 Stats

HP: 167
Attack: 112
Defense: 170
Sp. Attack: 49
Sp. Def: 170
Speed: 81

Again, a very familiar but effective set; superb mix of coverage and utility with Leftovers to aid in setting up. I left the EVs unchanged from the Maison since I still prefer to outspeed the likes of Empoleon, Swampert, and Porygon2.

Type: Null ("Proto") @

Eviolite
Nature: Careful
Ability: Battle Armor
IVs: 31/31/31/14/31/31 (Special Defense + Speed Bottle Capped)
EVs: 252 HP / 204 SpD / 52 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Return
- Flame Charge
- Rest

Lv. 50 Stats

HP: 202
Attack: 115
Defense: 115
Sp. Attack: 96
Sp. Def: 155
Speed: 86

While Type: Null lacks the sheer bulk and general 'unkillableness' feel of Eviolite Chansey, functioning as a third (!) setup sweeper is what sets it apart. Lucky then that Battle Armor + Rest is such an effective strategy; these are imperative to Null's success in acting as that much-needed glue mon and status absorber, since with the absence of Confide or Growl it will be staying in for lengthy amounts of time to set up fully. If Null weren't immune to critical hits (save for Mold Breaker), this 2-in-1 role of sorts would not be achievable. I settled with the benchmark of outspeeding uninvested Eeveelutions and Walrein-4 at neutral, then simply maximizing HP to supplement the Eviolite boost, and dumping the rest into SpD with a Careful nature to make Null very specially bulky. This balances out nicely with all the Intimidate shuffling and King's Shield-lowering going on. Being a Normal type also means Null forms great synergy with Aegislash, in the same way Aegislash does with Salamence; especially handy for when you need to reset an untimely SpD drop from Psychic, Energy Ball, Flash Cannon etc. during the stallfests.



I'll admit I was a little skeptical of a team comprised entirely of physical attackers actually working at first (and all setup sweepers, mind you), but I'm glad to have been proven wrong. Physical attacks are obviously dealt with through King's Shield use and Intimidate switch-stalling, while Type: Null still acts as a sufficient-enough special wall; this trifecta of excellent synergy is basically what makes the team work offensive-wise, too. However, due to the improved AI capabilities of preferring to switch out once effective PP has been drained, care needs to be taken in keeping count of said PP and not landing yourself in a bad spot. This can happen especially when trying to set up with Null, as it's tempting to just mindlessly spam Rest and veer into 'cruise control' mode without thinking ahead. Bad things can happen if the AI switches out when you weren't expecting it to, such as:

- Being stuck asleep for 1-2 turns
- Being at low HP
- Not having enough Speed or Attack to deal with said switch-in

This is where having an idea of what that particular Trainer could send out also helps in planning your PP-stalling strategies, and which of the three is best to set up with; it's generally M-Mence behind a Sub, then Aegislash > Type: Null. Though 200 wins is an okay base to start from, hopefully I can keep this going for some time and further formulate strategies around particular threats. I might even compile another list of 'what to do against X lead' in the future. Early days after all, but it's fun learning and adapting to something so different from the fast-paced Doubles format. Never thought I'd use such a 'slow burn' type of team like this, but something about it is quite rewarding.


[Credits also go to Skullkid , paperquagsire , turskain for aiding in shaping the final Type: Null product you see here. A fine collaborative Discord effort if I say so myself! If I missed out on anyone, please let me know]

Battle No. 200 vs Colress: 8DUW-WWWW-WWW6-T5UZ

 

[Smuckem]

People are out here talking about their wins in the 400s and I'm just content with my 50 winstreak in Super Singles :V

Mimikyu (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Disguise
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 31/31/31/X/31/31
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw
- Shadow Sneak
- Play Rough

Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body -> Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31
- Zen Headbutt
- Bullet Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Hammer Arm

Primarina (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 31/X/31/31/31/31
- Hydro Pump
- Surf
- Psychic
- Moonblast

Unfortunately I can't share any of the replays because I haven't updated my 3DS yet, but I figured I'd share the team anyways. Also just note that all of these were bred prior to Pokebank and haven't been changed since. This is also why I'm running Hydro Pump instead of a hidden power on Primarina, because I've basically never clicked Hydro Pump (out of fear). Speedy Primarina has been working out for me, and the Adamant nature on Metagross hasn't bit me in the ass yet. Electric types and Ground Types aren't fun for this team as I don't have a resist for either. I didn't run into a Landorus in the first 50 battles, but I assume I auto lose if my Mimikyu's Disguise is broken.

EDIT: Everything is updated now and here are a couple of the replays.
No. 50 right here.
4FYG-WWWW-WWW6-SB6N
Almost had a heart attack this was so intense. Note to self, Primarina isn't bulky enough to take that kind of punishment.
47TG-WWWW-WWW6-SB5L
Earliest replay I have of his, might as well throw it in.
69VG-WWWW-WWW6-SB9Z

Damn, I was hoping you hadn't updated yet, with most of us having done so by now, the opportunities to study how the old Kommo-O4 (the infamous Shell Smash set) would operate against our circle of Trainers are growing smaller (assuming you would be able to extend your streak long enough to encounter it).

I'm putting together a team for Super Doubles and was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers?

I decided to use a Sunny Day/Drought-themed team as I've always had good luck with rain teams and thought sun would be more of a challenge. So far I've decided on a basic outline:

Garchomp @ Rockinium Z
Ability: Rough Skin
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Stone Edge/Rock Slide
Poison Jab
252 At/Spd, 6 HP (Adamant)

Standard Garchomp. I'm wavering between Dragonium Z or Rockinium Z but on balance Rockinium seems the better choice due to Stone Edge's shaky accuracy and the chance to eliminate fliers and ice types. Earthquake and Dragon Claw are standard, Poison Jab is for Fairies. As it's Doubles, Rock Slide is tempting to use for the flinch chance despite the lower base power.

Ninetales @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
Flamethrower
Solarbeam
Toxic
Protect
252 Sp.A/Spd, 6 HP (Timid)

My sun setter. Item choice is obvious, as are the first two moves - Toxic is for bulky walls, Protect lets Chomp EQ freely.

Zapdos Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Discharge
Heat Wave
Signal Beam
Light Screen
252 Sp.A, 152 HP, 106 Spd (Timid)

Discharge for the paralysis rate and the fact that it hits everyone, Heat Wave because it takes advantage of the sun, and Signal Beam for Darks/Psychics. Initially ran Detect but Light Screen provides a bit of general support for the team.

I have no idea what to use for the final slot, though - I was thinking of using a Mega, perhaps Charizard X or Kangaskhan, but also thought Tapu Lele might work well. Or perhaps something like Speed Boost Blaziken?

It's been so long since I've put a team together I feel like there's a few things I've probably forgotten about; I feel like the team so far has good synergy, but it's not quite there yet and I don't know if it's good enough to make it to 50 wins.

So yeah, any comments/suggestions would be wonderful, thanks in advance!

We're kinda batting some ideas around for that last slot:
- a little agreement on MegaZard X
- Mega Venusaur (MegaSaur)
- Mega Sceptile (soon, if you have the patience to wait for the Mega Stone)
- Solar Power Heliosk
- Cherrim (jk)

 

[Altissimo]

We're kinda batting some ideas around for that last slot:
- a little agreement on MegaZard X
- Mega Venusaur (MegaSaur)
- Mega Sceptile (soon, if you have the patience to wait for the Mega Stone)
- Solar Power Heliosk
- Cherrim (jk)

- flareon




(ok no. dont do this. i love flareon but it is trash and i admit this)

 

[greenpanda]

We're kinda batting some ideas around for that last slot:
- a little agreement on MegaZard X
- Mega Venusaur (MegaSaur)
- Mega Sceptile (soon, if you have the patience to wait for the Mega Stone)
- Solar Power Heliosk
- Cherrim (jk)

Mmmmm Mega Sceptile might be good, especially in tandem with Zap's Discharge. When's the Mega Stone supposed to be released, again? Until it is MegaZard X probably seems like the better option.

Though I suppose Cherrim *might* be amusing for the challenge factor...

 

[PanzerThiefZero]

Though I suppose Cherrim *might* be amusing for the challenge factor...

Reminders that the Battle Revolution Stargazer Colosseum Set 8 Master Battle had the final boss use Cherrim on one of his teams for the Flower Gift buff for allies.

...and ability-summoned weather was still permanent in Gen 4...

 

[xSilentDeviL]

Damn, I was hoping you hadn't updated yet, with most of us having done so by now, the opportunities to study how the old Kommo-O4 (the infamous Shell Smash set) would operate against our circle of Trainers are growing smaller (assuming you would be able to extend your streak long enough to encounter it).



We're kinda batting some ideas around for that last slot:
- a little agreement on MegaZard X
- Mega Venusaur (MegaSaur)
- Mega Sceptile (soon, if you have the patience to wait for the Mega Stone)
- Solar Power Heliosk
- Cherrim (jk)

there's also always Victreebel which gets Chlorophyll and Weather Ball, as well as a Calm Mind Cresselia with CM, Moonlight (which gets the nice buff in Sun), Psychic and HP Fire (which also gets the nice little buff in the sun). Boy do these sets bring me back to Gen 4

 

[PikaCuber]

I've been lurking enough, may as well make an account and post.

This was a while ago, maybe close to a month ago, but I really enjoyed this team. Not the most impressive, with only at 54 wins in Super Doubles, but I'm working on getting it higher. Also was my first team that I created that beat Blue, and I'm super happy with it.


Team:

Charjabug (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Battery
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 118 Def / 140 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 28 SpA
- String Shot
- Iron Defense
- Bug Bite
- Protect

Stats

164/102/143/66/113/56

One of the main focuses of my team, and one of my leads. Once I learned about Battery, I really wanted to find a way to take advantage of it. EV Spread is kinda unique, I believe that it was EV'd to take a max Marowak-A Flare Blitz in rain, I don't really remember. I made that spread when I was messing around with Charjabug being in VGC. Eviolite helps increase the overall bulk of Charjabug

String Shot was meant to help slow down threats to the rest of my team, but I hardly ever used it. Electroweb is another option, but I bred this prior to Bank was released, and I didn't want to breed another one at the time. Iron Defense ended up being a waste, again a leftover from my VGC planning. I considered changing it to Substitute with a slight EV modification to get to an HP stat of 163, so I can get 4 Subs and have 1 HP left. Bug Bite was definitely my most used move, primarily eating away the Super Effective and Healing Berries that I noticed so many of the Pokemon carried. Gave Charjabug many random stat boosts from things like Liechi Berries and healing from Sitrus Berries. Taking away the Super Effective Berries also allowed my other lead, Porygon-Z, to get away with a much nicer sweep. Protect worked nicely for stalling and protecting itself from things like my Krookodile's Earthquake.


Porygon-Z @ Normalium Z
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 50
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 6 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Conversion

Stats

161/79/90/187/95/156

My other lead, and primary sweeper. Abuses Battery, Adaptability abuses STAB even better, and Z-Conversion gives it an even bigger boost on power. EV Spread is pretty basic, to hit hard and hit fast.

Moves weren't too hard for me to decide. Shadow Ball for a decently good STAB after Z-Conversion, with the bonus of being immune to Fighting moves that commonly target Porygon-Z Turn 1. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam provide the standard BoltBeam coverage, and is almost never reduced in damage from things like various berries thanks to Bug Bite.


Salamence (M) @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 1 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Dragon Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Tailwind

Stats

171/126/100/178/100/152

Backup sweeper and another abuser of Battery. Intimidate is a great help at weakening anything that Salamence has to come in on, since it is usually switched in once on of the leads faints. Again, basic spread, could probably be optimized better.

Hyper Voice gives a nice spread attack, good coverage, Battery boosted, STAB. Dragon Pulse is another STAB move and is good for some things that resist Flying. Flamethrower is primarily to hit Steels that resist the other two moves. Tailwind was never used in my run, since Salamence usually could spend it's time better by hitting things. Probably would replace it with Protect, but I don't really want to breed up another one since I don't want to lose out on Tailwind on this Salamence.

Due to flight, Salamence also pairs well with Krookodile, with double spread attacks of Hyper Voice and Earthquake, walled only by Steel/Flying types, if I remember correctly. Double Intimidate from the two is also really nice, basically destroying the physical strength of the opponents.


Krookodile (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 6 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 18 SpA
- Earthquake
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Brick Break

Stats

170/185/101/71/90/144

Final sweeper and balances out the team with a physical attacker. Choice Scarf because I wanted something really speedy on the team, although I am thinking about changing it to a Jolly Life Orb set. Intimidate really helps with switching in, although it's really frail, often getting OHKO'd.

Earthquake gives a STAB spread move, and Rock Slide makes a pseudo EdgeQuake combo of spread attacks. Crunch is a secondary STAB attack, and Brick Break helps round out the coverage.


Threats

To be honest, at this run, I try to guess which Pokemon had what set, so I have no real clue as to what the threats to this team are. But, I do recognize these:

Ice-Types: With two weaknesses to Ice, these Pokemon can get a little bit scary, as they are generally able to one shot either Salamence or Krookodile. Unless I can one shot them myself the turn they come in, something on my side will probably go down. They are frail though, so most things can one shot them.

Rock-Types: Similar to the Ice situation, but slightly more tolerable because Krookodile can deal with it better. Plus, Porygon-Z often can cover many of the Rock types due to either a secondary typing or a lower Special Defense. Charjabug is also sometimes able to take a Rock attack thanks to it's bulk.

Things faster than Porygon-Z: While not the biggest issue, it just makes it a lot harder for Porygon-Z to set up properly while surviving a potential double target, something that it can sometimes do thanks to the added bulk from Z-Conversion.


Team Problems:

EV Spreads aren't optimized at all, and I don't really like my weakness to Ice. Currently considering a change of Krookodile to a Special Aegislash, but it then makes Fire Types an issue. I'm also not a big fan of a Choice item, so I really want to get rid of it. Tapu Lele has potential, but at the moment, I don't have one ready to use, otherwise it might take Porygon-Z's spot, opening up the Z Crystal again.


Random Battles:

Battle 50: T4ZG-WWWW-WWW6-USNB

Sadly, this was the only battle I saved, but I did lose shortly after, so not too big a deal, I think.

My Analysis

I didn't like my first turn, but then again I didn't know anything about the Pokemon, so I didn't mind too much about the Turn 1 Ice Beam. But, I get up my Z-Converion the turn after, and I proceed to sweep from there. Charjabug takes down the Exeggutor, and I stupidly leave the Tyranitar alone. But, that leaves Rhyperior and Tyranitar, both weak to Krookodile, so I'm willing to sacrifice either of my Pokemon to get the free switch, getting an Earthquake to finish the battle.

I only ran into one team of legendaries, but it consisted of Latios, Latias, and two Lake Guardians, so that was basically Z-Conversion and click Shadow Ball. I believe that this was Battle 53.

Sadly, I forgot what happened on my losing battle, sorry guys.

Final Notes:

Issues aside, I really liked this team. Clearly, based on my explanations, I think it's pretty clear that I'm really happy with Charjabug, and I think I'm gonna try out the Aegislash for my next run, with everything else the exact same, more or less.

 

[MetropolisJ]

After much frustration, I've finally achieved an (ongoing) 50-win stamp run of Super Multi with the AI partner Anabel.

My Pokemon:

Latios @ Dragonium-Z
Timid 252 SpAtk / 252 Speed
Draco Meteor
Psychic
Hidden Power Ground
Protect

Mimikyu @ Life Orb
Adamant 252 Atk / 252 Speed
Swords Dance
Play Rough
Shadow Claw
Shadow Sneak


Anabel's Pokemon:

Entei @ Life Orb
Sacred Fire
Bulldoze
Stone Edge
Protect

Latios @ White Herb
Draco Meteor
Psychic
Thunderbolt
Protect


Abusing the multi rules to get two Latios on the same team works a treat, though it's a shame Anabel didn't get a Z crystal on either. Bulldoze proved surprisingly useful in giving Mimikyu priority later game, and bringing things neatly into KO range from Latios. Hidden Power Ground proved its worth against a number of threats including the 4x weak Magnezone/Togedemaru/Bastiodon/etc but also the random Drapion/Bisharp. It felt much more useful than something like Thunderbolt since the Pokemon it brought down would have been major threats otherwise.

The biggest problems were Tailwind, Trick Room and things faster than Latios, such as Weavile. Using Protect first turn was often the best play, Entei's bulk and raw strength swept through Pokemon that Latios couldn't, leaving its Z crystal in tact to take down the next big Pokemon. It took me a few runs of near misses to finally get the stamp - stupid stuff like Stone Edge missing followed by an opponents' critical hit came about often enough to end the sweep.