Introduction
I played Pokemon Diamond for the first time recently, which I've been wanting to do since the game came out way back when in 2006 (10 years late is better than never I guess). And if 9 year old me wanted to catch one pokemon in that game, it would have been Stunky. I didn't catch Stunky my first time through, because I couldn't find one early enough in the game. But I had caught a Murkrow, which pulled its weight quite well from the moment I caught it in Eterna Forest. That, along with the fact that it is really fun to say "bird" repeatedly until I run out of breath when I use Brave Bird, motivated me to build around Murkrow. This team has been fun to play with and I'm hoping you all can help me improve it.
Teambuilding Process
LO Murkrow was the starting point of the team, with HP Grass to lure in Golem. Scarf Chatot was the next addition, as it enjoyed Golem being weakened, and could clean appropriately. Scarf Mr. Mime was added for Baton Pass + Healing Wish as well as more cleaning potential, with LO Cryogonal for hazard removal (also at the time it was a new drop). Banded Stoutland was added as a secondary wallbreaker (also a bulky presence). Bulky Golem was added to try to deal with the somewhat glaring frailty of the team, as well as add Stealth Rock. This version was (to put it lightly) bad, and struggled against a lot of major threats.
Scarf Chatot was changed for Scarf Dodrio, for more physical presence on the team as Audino proved to be an issue, also making a birdspam core alongside Murkrow. Stoutland was switched out for SD Bouffalant, to give me a more stable win condition. Stunfisk was added to be a more reliable bulky ground than Golem, able to spread paralysis to help Murkrow and Bouffalant against offensive teams. This version was better than the last one, however struggled immensely against ground and water-types in general.
Dodrio was switched for Tangela, to help deal with Ground-types like Golem and Stunfisk. Mr. Mime was swapped for Machoke for a little while, but Healing Wish and reliable revenge killing were sorely missed. The team was still weak to powerful special attackers though.
Talked a bit with ShuckleDeath and he suggested Spikes Quilladin to replace Tangla, and so far I like it. Extra hazards have helped wear down offensive teams more so Murkrow gets a better chance to shine. Also LO on Cryogonal was switched to Leftovers to not get worn down as much.
4/17: As Dundies suggested, Colbur Grumpig has replaced Mr. Mime to help against fire-types, as well as providing paralysis support. Scarf Leafeon replaced Quilladin because the team lacked a revenge killer at this point, and I needed a ground-type check. Other changes include better nicknames, and Bouffalant's EVs.
Individual Analysis
birdbirdbirdbird (Murkrow) @ Life Orb
Ability:
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
Brave Bird / Sucker Punch / Hidden Power [Grass] / Pursuit
Murkrow is the team's wallbreaker/revenge-killer depending on what I'm up against. The EVs give Brave Bird and Sucker Punch a nice kick while maximizing speed and not compromising HP Grass's power. Super Luck was chosen as I'm really not very good at predicting sleep moves (also most of the grass-type inducers will go for Sludge Bomb because they don't want to give Bouffalant a free switch-in), so I opted for an increased chance for a critical hit. Brave Bird and Sucker Punch are STAB, with the latter KOing most offensive pokemon after a few rounds of SR. Hidden Power Grass is here to surprise Golem and Relicanth who think they can easily take a Brave Bird (no better feeling than them missing Head Smash/Stone Edge as you HP Grass).
pigpigpigpig (Grumpig) @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
Psychic / Focus Blast / Taunt / Thunder Wave
Grumpig makes a return to save my team from Machoke. Speed EVs allow me to outspeed Pawniard, and the rest goes to maximize power and bulk. Psychic and Focus Blast have good coverage together, the former being reliable STAB while the latter takes care of steel and dark-types who resist it. Taunt is to prevent Grumpig from getting statused, and Thunder Wave helps make Grumpig's offensive switch-ins less threatening, and potentially fodder to Murkrow or Bouffalant. Grumpig is really useful and has also pulled its weight exceptionally.
snowsnowsnowsnow (Cryogonal) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 48 Def / 232 SpA / 228 Spe
Timid Nature
Freeze-Dry / Hidden Power [Fighting] / Recover / Rapid Spin
No team that relies on a pokemon weak to SR (not to mention relies on a heavy-recoil move with LO) can function without a spinner, and Cryogonal is one of the better offensive ones. The EVs allow it to survive a Sucker Punch from Pawniard, while outspeeding positive natured base-101's. Freeze Dry is STAB that has the benefit of beating water-types, which is made somewhat easier by Cryogonal's reasonable special bulk. HP Fighting is for Probopass and Pawniard, the latter of whom never seem to see it coming. Recover is to keep Cryogonal alive between switching into SR repeatedly or taking weaker attacks, and Rapid Spin is to remove hazards. Cryogonal has been a pleasant surprise, I didn't expect it to be as useful as it turned out being.
afroafroafro (Bouffalant) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
Adamant Nature
Return / Earthquake / Substitute / Swords Dance
Bouffalant is my win condition against bulkier teams, and retains usefulness against offensive ones thanks to paralysis support and balk.
fishfishfishfish (Stunfisk) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
Discharge / Earth Power / Toxic / Stealth Rock
The master of status, Stunfisk makes an appearance. The EVs maximize physical defense, and Static is there to paralyze physical attackers. Discharge is to spread more paralysis, and is reasonably powerful. Earth Power is to beat steel and rock-types, and is a more powerful attack to go for. Toxic is to put grass and water-types who like switching in on Stunfisk on a timer, and Stealth Rock is mandatory hazards. However, Stunfisk is the master of hitting itself in confusion, which makes it (from experience) a shaky Machoke switch-in at best.
leafleafleafleaf (Leafeon) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
Leaf Blade / Bullet Seed / Knock Off / Baton Pass
Leafeon makes an appearance on another team, this time acting to support another SD Sweeper. Choice Scarf allows Leafeon to reliably revenge kill pokemon like boosted Gorebyss, Relicanth, as well as Floatzel, while providing a ground-type switch-in. EVs maximize speed and power, I opted for Adamant because Scarf Rotom-F hasn't been too threatening and the power boost is quite nice. Leaf Blade is here as main STAB, with Bullet Seed almost exclusively to break lead Golems. Knock Off is to remove items, and its more here for utility than actual power. Baton Pass is actually really cool to have, as Leafeon does an exceptional job of bringing in bulky grass-types that Bouffalant and Murkrow eat up.
Threatlist
Conclusion
There's not much I have left to say for this team. I've been working on it for a while now, and the fact that after this many iterations I've still got this bad of a weakness to special attackers is kind of a letdown, but that's why teams get posted to be rated. Back to the team, I really like Murkrow. Something about having a battle end with both Murkrow and my opponent's last pokemon fainting to Brave Bird is more satisfying than having
Thanks for reading and have a nice day!
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