First RMT, and first post in the forums- Hello world.
I had been dabbling in competitive battling for a while, mostly building weather teams and testing the waters of OU, when I thought hey, why don't I build a team based around my absolute favorite 5th gen Pokemon (that is, Archeops). Imagine my dismay when I find that the Pokemon I had used to defeat all of the elite four, though strong, was practically useless because of it's ability! So I set out, with moderate success, to build a team engineered around keeping Archeops alive as long as possible.
Threat List
Anything that out-speeds Archeops and has a SE move against it is a huge threat- Gengar especially can be checked by Alakazam, but some swift swim/chlorophyll users are still very dangerous. Surf/Discharge users- though not too terribly common are especially a problem because Gastrodon/Rhyperior can't absorb that hit for Archeops.
A lot of this team's coverage falls on one, rather fragile, Pokemon (well that was the point, but still) so prediction is very important (and alas, I am not so good at it... yet)
Edit: I bit more testing shows that Protect, when used properly, can really extend Archeop's life span, so that's what I'm using for now.
I had been dabbling in competitive battling for a while, mostly building weather teams and testing the waters of OU, when I thought hey, why don't I build a team based around my absolute favorite 5th gen Pokemon (that is, Archeops). Imagine my dismay when I find that the Pokemon I had used to defeat all of the elite four, though strong, was practically useless because of it's ability! So I set out, with moderate success, to build a team engineered around keeping Archeops alive as long as possible.
At a Glance
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In Depth
Archeops @ Flying Gem
Trait: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Head Smash
- Roost
The entire reason this team exists- Acrobatics with a Flying Gem boost can take out most anything that doesn't resist while Earthquake and Head Smash can still do heavy damage while unboosted- plus Archeops won't take recoil damage if the skill swap goes as planned.
I've considered changing the last slot to a move that adds more coverage like crunch, or a boosting one like Agility/ Rock Polish or Hone Claws- in order to survive. Protect is also a good choice, in case one of the Pokemon that offers protection is KO'd, or Surf/Discharge is used but frustratingly, it also blocks an allies' skill swap. Archeops needs to be able to out-speed everything and it's nigh impossible to pass a boost onto him another way. The other option I've tried is the Salac Berry- but Archeops is usually never knocked down to the health that activates it without dying.
Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk
- Skill Swap
- Psychic
- Protect
- Ally Switch
The fastest Skill Swap user I could find- Skill Swap is obviously used to give Archeops a better ability and (as far as I've been able to tell- Pokemon Showdown is not very specific about what abilities are being swapped) can then be used to give an opposing Pokemon an awful ability.
Psychic and Protect are self explanatory. Ally Switch THEORETICALLY can be used to move Alakazam into an attack that would normally kill Archeops and let the main sweeper set up a buff or take down the threat-- but on Pokemon Showdown doesn't seem to work as intended. (Perhaps I'm understanding what it's supposed to do wrong?)
(I considered Espeon for this position since Magic Bounce is such a great ability, but the moves it affects are rarely used in doubles)
Rhyperior @ Choice Band
Trait: Lightningrod
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Rock Blast
- Hammer Arm
Most important is lightning rod- this keeps SE electric moves from hitting Archeops. The other moves are for pretty standard coverage (Megahorn for Cressellia and Rock Blast for Zapdos etc). Unfortunately it shares the same weaknesses as Archeops- but the beast itself can take out fighting types and hammer arm makes short work of steel types. The main issues here are water and grass types and Archeops's own Earthquake.
Gastrodon @ Rindo Berry
Trait: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
- Scald
- Hidden Power Grass
- Ice Beam
- Recover
The owner Storm Drain and the answer to Archeop's water woes. Scald helps with rock types Archeops has issues with on it's own- Ice Beam is to help with things like Hydregion, Lati@s and Tordandus. I'm not certain about the last slot, but Gastrodon is bulky enough that recovery stalling is viable. HP Grass is a big help taking down Rain teams. The biggest threat is Swift Swim Ludicolo- which can usually out-speed an unboosted Archeops and take out Gastrodon with one Energy Ball.
Breloom @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
- Bullet Seed
- Low Sweep
- Mach Punch
- Spore
Another answer to Hydregion- plus Scizor, Tyranitar, and Ludicolo, too. Spore is good to help Archeops set up- it's really your standard Breloom- and it still works beautifully.
Heatran @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
More grass/bug/electric/rock/steel coverage. Protect for Earthquakes- this gal is in a similar boat as Breloom- common and really useful.
I'm torn on HP Fighting and Earth Power though- should I opt for psychic coverage with dark pulse? Or more insurance against Hydredion/Lati@s/Dragonite with Dragon Pulse? Maybe I should go with Earthquake? This is why I need the opinions of you, dear reader.
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In Depth
Archeops @ Flying Gem
Trait: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Head Smash
- Roost
The entire reason this team exists- Acrobatics with a Flying Gem boost can take out most anything that doesn't resist while Earthquake and Head Smash can still do heavy damage while unboosted- plus Archeops won't take recoil damage if the skill swap goes as planned.
I've considered changing the last slot to a move that adds more coverage like crunch, or a boosting one like Agility/ Rock Polish or Hone Claws- in order to survive. Protect is also a good choice, in case one of the Pokemon that offers protection is KO'd, or Surf/Discharge is used but frustratingly, it also blocks an allies' skill swap. Archeops needs to be able to out-speed everything and it's nigh impossible to pass a boost onto him another way. The other option I've tried is the Salac Berry- but Archeops is usually never knocked down to the health that activates it without dying.
Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk
- Skill Swap
- Psychic
- Protect
- Ally Switch
The fastest Skill Swap user I could find- Skill Swap is obviously used to give Archeops a better ability and (as far as I've been able to tell- Pokemon Showdown is not very specific about what abilities are being swapped) can then be used to give an opposing Pokemon an awful ability.
Psychic and Protect are self explanatory. Ally Switch THEORETICALLY can be used to move Alakazam into an attack that would normally kill Archeops and let the main sweeper set up a buff or take down the threat-- but on Pokemon Showdown doesn't seem to work as intended. (Perhaps I'm understanding what it's supposed to do wrong?)
(I considered Espeon for this position since Magic Bounce is such a great ability, but the moves it affects are rarely used in doubles)
Rhyperior @ Choice Band
Trait: Lightningrod
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Rock Blast
- Hammer Arm
Most important is lightning rod- this keeps SE electric moves from hitting Archeops. The other moves are for pretty standard coverage (Megahorn for Cressellia and Rock Blast for Zapdos etc). Unfortunately it shares the same weaknesses as Archeops- but the beast itself can take out fighting types and hammer arm makes short work of steel types. The main issues here are water and grass types and Archeops's own Earthquake.
Gastrodon @ Rindo Berry
Trait: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
- Scald
- Hidden Power Grass
- Ice Beam
- Recover
The owner Storm Drain and the answer to Archeop's water woes. Scald helps with rock types Archeops has issues with on it's own- Ice Beam is to help with things like Hydregion, Lati@s and Tordandus. I'm not certain about the last slot, but Gastrodon is bulky enough that recovery stalling is viable. HP Grass is a big help taking down Rain teams. The biggest threat is Swift Swim Ludicolo- which can usually out-speed an unboosted Archeops and take out Gastrodon with one Energy Ball.
Breloom @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
- Bullet Seed
- Low Sweep
- Mach Punch
- Spore
Another answer to Hydregion- plus Scizor, Tyranitar, and Ludicolo, too. Spore is good to help Archeops set up- it's really your standard Breloom- and it still works beautifully.
Heatran @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
More grass/bug/electric/rock/steel coverage. Protect for Earthquakes- this gal is in a similar boat as Breloom- common and really useful.
I'm torn on HP Fighting and Earth Power though- should I opt for psychic coverage with dark pulse? Or more insurance against Hydredion/Lati@s/Dragonite with Dragon Pulse? Maybe I should go with Earthquake? This is why I need the opinions of you, dear reader.
Threat List
Anything that out-speeds Archeops and has a SE move against it is a huge threat- Gengar especially can be checked by Alakazam, but some swift swim/chlorophyll users are still very dangerous. Surf/Discharge users- though not too terribly common are especially a problem because Gastrodon/Rhyperior can't absorb that hit for Archeops.
A lot of this team's coverage falls on one, rather fragile, Pokemon (well that was the point, but still) so prediction is very important (and alas, I am not so good at it... yet)
Edit: I bit more testing shows that Protect, when used properly, can really extend Archeop's life span, so that's what I'm using for now.
