DP team in need of Platinum alterations.

[ViVi]

This team has served me pretty well in D/P Wifi but Im wanting to get back into Shoddy, and that means Platinum. So instead of diving head first into it with this team that is likely outdated and getting destroyed, Im hoping someone(s) can assist me in altering this team to deal with the new threats Platinum brings.

Team Overview

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I typically like to play with defensive bulky Pokemon, whittling down my opponents then polish them off with the stronger attackers I have however with this team I am focusing more on keeping my opponents off balance and never letting them gain any momentum.


In-Depth
(top 3 are recently added)

Timid
Focus Sash
4 HP, 252 SpAtt, 252 Speed
Fake Out
Stealth Rock
Fire Blast
Encore

Setting up Stealth Rocks is crucial to any team, especially ones that specialize in forcing switches. With Hypnosis losing accuracy (and therefore usage) its harder to be able to prevent an opponent from setting up rocks of there own. With this spread I can ensure that A) The opponent loses their FS first turn, and/or B) I get my SR up, Fire Blast allowing me to damage anything that comes out and Encore allows me to force switches later (sometimes earlier)
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Naughty
Life Orb
112 HP, 252 Attack, 8 Defense, 136 Speed
Dragon Dance
Flamethrower
Earthquake
Dragon Claw

I know Outrage is standard but I usually end up bringing Mence in earlier then late game and Outrage was screwing me. Maybe making it into some sort of Scarf'd set might be better, I dunno. It works pretty well as is. The ev spread minimizes Life Orb Damage while giving it the most HP possible while doing so.
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Careful
Leftovers
204 HP, 252 Attack, 52 SpDef
Pursuit
Rest
Fire Punch
Return
Since celebi usually just heals off sleep I use Snorlax as a status absorber. I maxed Attack to give it extra attacking power because Im not a huge fan of Curse-Lax. Considering EQ over Fire Punch as Heatran walls me completely and Lax loves switching into (BAN ME PLEASE) thanks to Thick Fat. Also considering switching to Sassy nature and giving it Fire Blast over FP
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Bold
Leftovers
252 HP, 252 Def, 6 SpDef
Recover
Leech Seed
Psychic
Heal Bell

I chose the Heal Bell set because my team lacks a real status absorber, whereas Celebi can switch into any status, and if anyone else on my team has taken a status (or Swampert has used Rest), Heal Bell can deal with it. Leech Seed helps force switches and prevents anything from setting up too long. Psychic was basically a coing flip over Grass Knot.
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Modest
Leftovers
252 HP, 16 SpAtt, 240 SpDef
Substitute
Flamethrower
Will o Wisp
Earthpower

This set works extremely well with this team, I bring it in on the many things that cant damage it (especially with so much HP/SpDef), setup a sub since they will obviously switch away. Then depending on what comes in I WoW the common TTars and Gyarados's, Earthpower Heatrans that try and absorb a Fire Attack. Sub guarentees me atleast 1 attack on anything else. Being able to cripple what is usually the opponents biggest threat (the aforementioned TTar, Gyarados and usually Salamence) is crucial this team.

Bold
Leftovers
188 HP, 252 Defense, 68 SpAtt
Wish
Protect
Surf
HP Electric

As opposed to many other teams, Vaporeon isnt essential to my success, but Im not sure what to replace it for. Wish support, while obviously helpful, isnt as needed due to my Recover/Rest Pokemon. A Fire check isnt needed thanks to Swampy and Heatran. The Ice and Water resistances are extremely helpful though. Countering Gyarados is something Celebi can usually do, if it doesnt switch into Heatrans Will o Wisp. If something needs to go I guess Vappy could do it, it givesme a good base to owrk around though.


Alright so thats my team, Any help in general is great, and some advice on adapting it to Platinum would be even better
Thanks.

Retired:

Lonely
Life Orb
252 Attack, 174 SpAtt, 84 Speed
Ice Beam
Fire Blast
Earthquake
Megahorn

Oh how I love CrushKing. Helps with any walls I have problems breaking through, usually not too difficult to bring in on some resistant attack or another. Id like to put sub on it for the same reason as Heatran, trying to guess what the opponent is going to bring in when I dont know their full team gets obnoxious sometimes, but Sub+Life Orb is bad, and I dont know which move I can afford to lose. Nidoking is also something I find replaceable, as often as it helps it is useless.
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Careful
Life Orb
240 HP, 252 Attack, 16 Def
Rest
Ice Punch
Waterfall
Earthquake

I skewed the CursePert set a bit, switching it in and trying to curse up while they switched was failing horribly. This set allows Swampert to take some hits while dishing out damage. Rest for when it gets worn down, with Celebi able to cure the sleep.
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Impish
Leftovers
252 HP, 208 Def, 48 SpDef
Knock Off
Toxic
Stealth Rock
Encore

Pretty basic, I use whatever move I think will work best in the given circumstance. If the Pokemon is something I believe will try and stat-up or setup Substitute I go with Encore. With opposing Azelfs or anything else that might be scarf'd I usually just SR, then Knock Off on the switch to messup whatever Pokemon they bring in next. Toxic over Rest too help whittle down HP. Shuckle can also switch into most any attack when Im not exactly sure what my opponent is going to do, and if it does go down it isnt an huge blow.

 

[Imran]

OK lets start with Lead Shuck, it get completely stopped by lead Taunters which do of course exist, I really do think that you should think about leading with something else. Perhaps Heatran or something like that. A trick lead may not be such a bad idea something like Lead Gross would also not be too bad either. The reason that I say this is you could do with something that can 1. Deal with other trick leads, 2. deal with Taunter Suicide leads and generally not be such a liability to your teams strategy. Take a look at those two, they should both be in "Platinum Updates" the search function usually works ;)

Another thing that seriously worries me is your lack of any "real" aggressive power. You dont have entry hazhards barring Stealth Rock, your team comes across as relativly stallish, but still, it doesnt have the Spikes TS nessecary. So I am going to suggest a few changes there too. I'd change Will-o-Wisp on Heatran to Toxic, to allow you to deal with Bulky Waters better, so sub on the switch and then Toxic as they break the sub, once they get worn down more it will be easier to sweep with something usually stopped by them, try something like Salamence, you could easily run a Salamence over Nidoking, lets go with:

Salamence @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Naughty Nature / Intimidate
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
~ Dragon Dance
~ Outrage
~ Earthquake
~ Flamethrower

This may well draw out Skarmory and serve as your late game sweeper, after a DD blah, blah you probably know the rest. Swampert and Vappy seem a little silly side by side, maybe you could go with CurseLax over Curse Pert? Sounds like a good idea, it can switch into a lot of special attackers (doesn't fear HP Grass like Swampy does) and can set up its curses with little problem, with Rest it has a good deal of surviverability,and it will offer you a bulky way to also attempt a sweep late game.

Like I said, your team is a little all over the place and lacks a real sort of focus or a team strategy that will be nessecary to winning, I hope some of the changes I made will help you to rectify that, if you are still having problems, dont hesitate to come back and ask :D

 

[ViVi]

Salamence over Nidoking sounds like a good idea, the lack of all out offensive power has hindered me in some battles

I really like the Heatran set, Id rather put Toxic over Protect on Vappy or something.

What about Forretress over Swampert to setup spikes? Im not a big fan of TS since any Poison can switch in and waste 2 turns for me.

I love my Shuck lead and it hasnt been a huge problem yet. If I have issues on Shoddy I'll look at other means of a lead. Perhaps a suicide Areodactyl lead.

Thanks for your input =)

 

[Olimarman]

Grass knot would give you more coverage than psychic would on celebi, but I suppose its not too game breaking. Just what I would do personally :p

 

[Imran]

Salamence over Nidoking sounds like a good idea, the lack of all out offensive power has hindered me in some battles

Yeah, I see why you mean about Nidoking, but I just really felt that it wasn't really viable outsode UU, especially when there are hundereds of other more supirior options in OU. I guess if you want something even more "mixsweeperish" the you could run INfernape, Mix Vire etc... the list goes on and on lol, most of whom will hit a lot harder than Nidoking. So play around with different ones if Salamence isn't working.

I really like the Heatran set, Id rather put Toxic over Protect on Vappy or something.

Again personaly preference i guess. I do see what you mean what with the whole burn the physical attacker thing, but the main point of Toxic on Heatran is to Lure out those bulky water and deal with them, it doesn't have quite the same effect on Vaporeon but i don't know test them both out on Shoddy and see what you prefer more =D

What about Forretress over Swampert to setup spikes? Im not a big fan of TS since any Poison can switch in and waste 2 turns for me.

I do see what you mean here, i Guess that would turn the team into more of a "Stall based" team rather than a bulky offense team which also works too, but is taking your team in a completely different direction, but it all sounds good to me you know, its your team after all and extra entry hazhards wont harm you in the slightest

I love my Shuck lead and it hasnt been a huge problem yet. If I have issues on Shoddy I'll look at other means of a lead. Perhaps a suicide Areodactyl lead.

Again I think testing is the key here, you will find that on Shoddy the Shuckle will get you off to a very poor start in battle, at least stick Lum berry or something on it from dieing from Fast sleep leads so it can encore and go to Celebi or set up rocks etc... I think youll find that may help a little, the problem is that taunt is rife early game with a lot of it being based around Stealth Rock, so meh, what can you do, give it a whirl and see what happens.

Good Luck!

 

[ViVi]

Meant to post this a few days ago but shits been busy

Updated my team after getting some Shodding in, so hopefully I can get some new rates?

 

[ViVi]

24+ hour bump. Ive shoddied an hour or so the last few nights and am about 17-1 since I made the changes so maybe I dont need too much help with it but 18 games is hardly a good basis for deciding such things.