Introduction
Hello all, and welcome to my very first Pokemon RMT. First, something about myself. I'm Old Greeeeeeeeg. Easy now fuzzy little man-peach, don't be afraid, let's just get straight into it shall we?
At a Glance
The Team
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SAtk / 4 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- ExtremeSpeed
- Superpower
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
I started with Dragonite. Why, you may or may not ask. Well because when I first started laddering several weeks ago, I discovered a key secret about pokemon battling that I think goes surprisingly overlooked. In my opinion, pokemon is all about unpredictability. When battling an intelligent opponent, a "standard" moveset becomes a handicap. When I see a Darmitan, I KNOW it's going to Flare Blitz me into oblivion, and that Ferrothorn is going to put up rocks or leech seed and then gtfo, etc. Why is this? Well it's because it's the BEST stuff these pokemon can offer. Dragonite, on the other hand, is a different animal all together. The number of viable movesets on this thing is unbelievable, just take a gander at the OU Analyses. What does this mean? Unpredictability. Add a dash of prediction in there and you have a pokemon to be reckoned with. I chose the mixed sweeper set because there is NOTHING this guy cannot put a serious, serious dent in. Of course, with the prevalence of sandstorm teams around, life orb damage ticking away, and a weakness to stealth rocks, our friend Dragonite doesn't end up sticking around for too long.
Considering: Dropping Superpower for Earthquake, going Multiscale, and using D-Night as a dedicated lead of sorts.
Conkeldurr (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Superpower
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge
- Payback
My very first team I made to battle online had a Choice Band Azumarill, as I soon learned that priority was king in the fast paced 5th generation. However, I found myself using not Aqua Jet, but Superpower 75% of the time, as my opponents consistently would switch out, fearing a powerful priority pounding. I came to love the satisfying crunch of a choice banded Superpower, but couldn't let go of how crucial priority attacks were...but what's this? I can have both?! Conkeldurr is my heavy hitter/Excadrill check. Very little likes a STAB'd, Choice Banded Superpower, and generally the stuff that can take it doesn't like Payback (see Reuniclus, Slowbro, Latios/Latias). He's a little tough to sneak in, I'll admit, but if you can predict a status move, you have yourself a lean, mean revengin' MACHINE.
Considering: Dropping Stone Edge for...something else? Shaky accuracy and few uses (Gyarados, Xatu?).
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SDef / 32 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
You know that particular pokemon you see in the team preview and everything just goes red? Well Jirachi was that for me folks. Serene Grace is as frustrating an ability as Gamefreaks could imagine, but Jirachi is so much more. You'll find that almost all the pokemon I've chosen for this team (except for my main man D-Night) are a response to what I feel are major, major threats in Gen 5. Threats so big, that if your team can't deal with them, you straight up lose. This SpD Jirachi is an answer to both the Latios twins and Reuniclus, who run rampant in this goofy thing we call a metagame. If you don't have a Steel on your team, you just straight up lose to Dragons. What that says about the balance of the game, I don't know, but I can't imagine a replacement for my ParaFlinchHaxing star child. Ooh and he sets up rocks too!
Considering: Heatran? No longer checks Reuniclus, but still checks dragons while providing a fire immunity.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 128 HP / 252 SAtk / 128 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Initially a Starmie, I found myself having no good lead against the ever present Politoed. I must say, I've been impressed by this appliance's utility (harhar), but not so much by his bulk. I don't feel comfortable switching in on anything but a resisted attack (granted, there are LOTS of them) or a definite Earthquake. That being said, once he's in, Rotom-W is going to do SOMETHING, even if it's just burning the inevitable Ferrothorn switch-in.
Considering: Hp Fire instead of Pain Split? I don't know if it's a 2HKO on Ferro, but seriously he gets switched in EVERY time. I'd imagine in rain it would be pretty lackluster. Also considering a replacement water resist poke that can deal out some pain to rain teams.
Reuniclus (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 192 HP / 60 Def / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
We've already talked about you, haven't we you cheery little pile of snot drenched jelly beans. One of the few pokemon this generation that REQUIRES a counter on your team, or prepare to be rolled. The thing is, let's consider the thought process that happens when you're staring down a Reuniclus.
In this case, predictability plays into our favor, as Psychic/Fighting provides near perfect coverage (Nobody cares about you Spiritomb), and just about EVERYONE expects a Calm Mind. In fact, the only time I Calm Mind is when all of the opposing Hazers/Physical sweepers have been eliminated and I'm ready for the sweep. What does this mean? It means that Tyranitar/Scizor/Skarmory/Jirachi is going to have a hell of a time switching in to a OHKO or 2HKO Focus Blast. In fact, if it weren't for Focus Blasts shoddy accuracy, I'd say this was hands down the best pokemon of Gen 5. With prediction, unstoppable.
Considering: Hp Fire or Shadow Ball in place of Calm Mind. Again I use it so rarely, and the switch ins (Gengar/Jellicent/Slowbro/Scizor) are so predictable, the extra coverage might be worth it. Also would consider a threatening replacement.
Mamoswine (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Cloak
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Icicle Spear
- Earthquake
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
And now, ladies and gentlemen, my pride and joy, Mamoswine. I am so smitten with this icy Mammoth it's a little disgusting. He has won me SO many games it's hard to believe, and why? That's right, unpredictability. Mamoswine is just rare enough that people aren't quite sure of his moveset or what he brings to the table. What I image most people think when they see those chilly tusks menacingly bearing down on them is "Lol he's slow" or "Lol ice priority". What they don't expect is a 130 Base Atk, Choice Scarf wearing, Sub smashing BAMF that doesn't mess around.
Mamoswine checks what I consider to be another all too common threat that has a disturbingly few amount of counters, Subs. Again, predictability plays a huge role in the power of Substitutes. If you switch in, I dunno, let's say Garchomp (he's kind of a big deal) into a SpD jirachi, what do you know? You know:
A)He can't break my sub with a Body Slam/Iron Head,
B)I can wreck him with a stab EQ
In essence, getting a free sub on a even a mediocre sweeper is golden in this gen (and maybe in past gens, but again 5th gen is all I know). There are just not enough multi hit moves, and one free turn is really all it takes. This is where ScarfSwine shines. Not only does he outspeed and break your +2 Garchomp's sub, he also gets in for the clean KO. Example is good for but not limited to Sub-Ninjask, pesky Whimsicotts, Sub/Disable Gengars, ParaShuffle DNites, and the list goes on. And when he's not breaking subs he's wrecking Tyranitars and Heatrans with Superpower, revenging outraging/overpowered dragons, and outspeeding/OHKOing Infernapes/Thundurus's and the like. Truly a force to be reckoned with.
Considering: Icicle Crash for Stone Edge. Again, Stone Edge seems to be the weakest link (Aside from the rare Gyarados), and I've had some painful losses due to Icicle Spear only hitting twice and failing to KO angry Dragons.
Hello all, and welcome to my very first Pokemon RMT. First, something about myself. I'm Old Greeeeeeeeg. Easy now fuzzy little man-peach, don't be afraid, let's just get straight into it shall we?
At a Glance
The Team
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SAtk / 4 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- ExtremeSpeed
- Superpower
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
I started with Dragonite. Why, you may or may not ask. Well because when I first started laddering several weeks ago, I discovered a key secret about pokemon battling that I think goes surprisingly overlooked. In my opinion, pokemon is all about unpredictability. When battling an intelligent opponent, a "standard" moveset becomes a handicap. When I see a Darmitan, I KNOW it's going to Flare Blitz me into oblivion, and that Ferrothorn is going to put up rocks or leech seed and then gtfo, etc. Why is this? Well it's because it's the BEST stuff these pokemon can offer. Dragonite, on the other hand, is a different animal all together. The number of viable movesets on this thing is unbelievable, just take a gander at the OU Analyses. What does this mean? Unpredictability. Add a dash of prediction in there and you have a pokemon to be reckoned with. I chose the mixed sweeper set because there is NOTHING this guy cannot put a serious, serious dent in. Of course, with the prevalence of sandstorm teams around, life orb damage ticking away, and a weakness to stealth rocks, our friend Dragonite doesn't end up sticking around for too long.
Considering: Dropping Superpower for Earthquake, going Multiscale, and using D-Night as a dedicated lead of sorts.
Conkeldurr (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Superpower
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge
- Payback
My very first team I made to battle online had a Choice Band Azumarill, as I soon learned that priority was king in the fast paced 5th generation. However, I found myself using not Aqua Jet, but Superpower 75% of the time, as my opponents consistently would switch out, fearing a powerful priority pounding. I came to love the satisfying crunch of a choice banded Superpower, but couldn't let go of how crucial priority attacks were...but what's this? I can have both?! Conkeldurr is my heavy hitter/Excadrill check. Very little likes a STAB'd, Choice Banded Superpower, and generally the stuff that can take it doesn't like Payback (see Reuniclus, Slowbro, Latios/Latias). He's a little tough to sneak in, I'll admit, but if you can predict a status move, you have yourself a lean, mean revengin' MACHINE.
Considering: Dropping Stone Edge for...something else? Shaky accuracy and few uses (Gyarados, Xatu?).
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SDef / 32 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
You know that particular pokemon you see in the team preview and everything just goes red? Well Jirachi was that for me folks. Serene Grace is as frustrating an ability as Gamefreaks could imagine, but Jirachi is so much more. You'll find that almost all the pokemon I've chosen for this team (except for my main man D-Night) are a response to what I feel are major, major threats in Gen 5. Threats so big, that if your team can't deal with them, you straight up lose. This SpD Jirachi is an answer to both the Latios twins and Reuniclus, who run rampant in this goofy thing we call a metagame. If you don't have a Steel on your team, you just straight up lose to Dragons. What that says about the balance of the game, I don't know, but I can't imagine a replacement for my ParaFlinchHaxing star child. Ooh and he sets up rocks too!
Considering: Heatran? No longer checks Reuniclus, but still checks dragons while providing a fire immunity.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 128 HP / 252 SAtk / 128 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Initially a Starmie, I found myself having no good lead against the ever present Politoed. I must say, I've been impressed by this appliance's utility (harhar), but not so much by his bulk. I don't feel comfortable switching in on anything but a resisted attack (granted, there are LOTS of them) or a definite Earthquake. That being said, once he's in, Rotom-W is going to do SOMETHING, even if it's just burning the inevitable Ferrothorn switch-in.
Considering: Hp Fire instead of Pain Split? I don't know if it's a 2HKO on Ferro, but seriously he gets switched in EVERY time. I'd imagine in rain it would be pretty lackluster. Also considering a replacement water resist poke that can deal out some pain to rain teams.
Reuniclus (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 192 HP / 60 Def / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
We've already talked about you, haven't we you cheery little pile of snot drenched jelly beans. One of the few pokemon this generation that REQUIRES a counter on your team, or prepare to be rolled. The thing is, let's consider the thought process that happens when you're staring down a Reuniclus.
1.) Shiiiiiiiiit he's going to Calm Mind up and sweep me so hard.
2.) Switch to appropriate counter.
3.) ???
4.) Profit.
2.) Switch to appropriate counter.
3.) ???
4.) Profit.
In this case, predictability plays into our favor, as Psychic/Fighting provides near perfect coverage (Nobody cares about you Spiritomb), and just about EVERYONE expects a Calm Mind. In fact, the only time I Calm Mind is when all of the opposing Hazers/Physical sweepers have been eliminated and I'm ready for the sweep. What does this mean? It means that Tyranitar/Scizor/Skarmory/Jirachi is going to have a hell of a time switching in to a OHKO or 2HKO Focus Blast. In fact, if it weren't for Focus Blasts shoddy accuracy, I'd say this was hands down the best pokemon of Gen 5. With prediction, unstoppable.
Considering: Hp Fire or Shadow Ball in place of Calm Mind. Again I use it so rarely, and the switch ins (Gengar/Jellicent/Slowbro/Scizor) are so predictable, the extra coverage might be worth it. Also would consider a threatening replacement.
Mamoswine (F) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Cloak
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Icicle Spear
- Earthquake
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
And now, ladies and gentlemen, my pride and joy, Mamoswine. I am so smitten with this icy Mammoth it's a little disgusting. He has won me SO many games it's hard to believe, and why? That's right, unpredictability. Mamoswine is just rare enough that people aren't quite sure of his moveset or what he brings to the table. What I image most people think when they see those chilly tusks menacingly bearing down on them is "Lol he's slow" or "Lol ice priority". What they don't expect is a 130 Base Atk, Choice Scarf wearing, Sub smashing BAMF that doesn't mess around.
Mamoswine checks what I consider to be another all too common threat that has a disturbingly few amount of counters, Subs. Again, predictability plays a huge role in the power of Substitutes. If you switch in, I dunno, let's say Garchomp (he's kind of a big deal) into a SpD jirachi, what do you know? You know:
A)He can't break my sub with a Body Slam/Iron Head,
B)I can wreck him with a stab EQ
In essence, getting a free sub on a even a mediocre sweeper is golden in this gen (and maybe in past gens, but again 5th gen is all I know). There are just not enough multi hit moves, and one free turn is really all it takes. This is where ScarfSwine shines. Not only does he outspeed and break your +2 Garchomp's sub, he also gets in for the clean KO. Example is good for but not limited to Sub-Ninjask, pesky Whimsicotts, Sub/Disable Gengars, ParaShuffle DNites, and the list goes on. And when he's not breaking subs he's wrecking Tyranitars and Heatrans with Superpower, revenging outraging/overpowered dragons, and outspeeding/OHKOing Infernapes/Thundurus's and the like. Truly a force to be reckoned with.
Considering: Icicle Crash for Stone Edge. Again, Stone Edge seems to be the weakest link (Aside from the rare Gyarados), and I've had some painful losses due to Icicle Spear only hitting twice and failing to KO angry Dragons.
Past Teammates:
Quagsire: Love this little herp-derp. Unaware is a beautiful ability, and can save you games you really shouldn't have won. However, I found that Quagsires base stats just couldn't compete with the powerhousees of todays gen, and though the Toxic was great for stall breaking, too many threats threatened to 2HKO my kooky companion. Replaced with Mamoswine for a more offensive team while still retaining the useful Electric immunity.
Starmie: OU since gen 1? Sign me up! I wanted Starmie for rapid spin support while constituting my only threat against rain teams. Unfortunately, our beloved star kept falling to the ever common Pursuit users, and more importantly STILL couldn't take a Specs Politoed's Hydro Pump. I eventually got over my fear of entry hazards and switched to Rotom-W, a definite improvement.
Threat List:
Excadrill: Surprised? No. No one is. I won't be one of the many who cries *cough* OVERPOWERED *cough*, but let's just say if Conkelldur's down it's lights out for my team as ScarfSwine fails to outspeed. If I see Excadrill, I keep Conkelldur alive at all cost.
Sun Teams: Sooooo, anybody who's not playing weather horribly tired of weather yet? The synergy weather provides over non-weather teams is scary to say the least, and this team in particular suffers heavily from a Choice Banded V-Create and/or Flare Blitz. Thank god they're not as prevalant as Sandstorm teams, or this team would not be doing nearly as well as it is. My only hope is to get the jump on unsuspecting Fire pokemon with a Scarfed EQ, but an Air Balloon Ninetales lead leaves me scratching my head going....hrmm?? Not to mention that Jirachi has a hard time setting up rocks with all the powered up Fire attacks flying around.
Reuniclus: Even with a "dedicated counter" in Jirachi, Reuniclus just has a way of ruining your day. If Jirachi switches into a Focus Blast, I better hope the next one misses or it's lights out.
Volcanara: Remember that Choice Banded Azumarill I mentioned earlier? Well it was specifically designed to counter this beast. After one Quiver Dance it outspeed ScarfSwine and proceeds to knock holes in my team. If I see one I'll try to get rocks up asap so I can finish it off with Extremespeeds and Mach Punches.
Outrage: Ugh. Outrage. To me it reads "Sacrifice a pokemon. Hope Mamoswine is still alive". I haven't faced a lot of these 4-5 dragon/Magnezone teams but they just seem...dirty. Without ScarfSwine I don't know how anyone deals with them really, as word on the street is that Ferrothorn is 2HKO'd by CB Outrage from Haxorus.
Conclusion
I am very open to suggestions, and would have no problem trying out those that exhibit common sense. I would also encourage all of you to try out your own non-weather teams, as it's the most fun/gratifying experience I've had with online battling so far. Now if you need me, I'll be in a club where people wee on eath other.
I am very open to suggestions, and would have no problem trying out those that exhibit common sense. I would also encourage all of you to try out your own non-weather teams, as it's the most fun/gratifying experience I've had with online battling so far. Now if you need me, I'll be in a club where people wee on eath other.
