Double-Burn, Double-Bug, Triple Speed-Boosting Team: Dragging Anorith to #1
Intro
Hi everyone, I still love LC even if it's a little dead atm. I've been a fan of bulky offense in LC for a while now; I think the playstyle really shines because almost every Pokemon in LC has a counter, it's just about making sure it can get in safely and at high HP. In particular, Larvesta is an awesome Pokemon that counters most versions of the really common and threatening Mienfoo, Timburr, and Grookey, but it needs a ton of hazard control support to survive.
Right now in LC, there's basically three hazard control Pokemon: Staryu, Natu, and Timburr. I didn't feel that Natu or Timburr really fit the team, so I've been trying Anorith instead. Its unique blend of Speed, typing, and movepool makes it an important part of this team, I think, although I'd love to hear other ways on how I can fit the other "better" hazard control Pokemon instead.
Team
Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 5
EVs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 28 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Giga Drain
- Revenge
First off, my favorite Ferroseed is a speedy set that can surprise standard Timburr and Trapinch while still having good bulk and utility.
Knock Off often ends up being Ferroseed's most-used move, especially against teams with Natu.
Stealth Rock is great against teams without hazard control or only Staryu, which Ferroseed counters.
Giga Drain provides decent recovery.
Revenge is useful for beating Pawniard, Magnemite, and opposing Ferrothorn 1v1 if needed.
Anorith @ Eviolite
Ability: Battle Armor
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Atk / 196 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Brick Break
- X-Scissor
It may be considered "unviable" at the moment, but I do like Anorith's role on the team. It's a glue mon, removing items and/or hazards at least once reliably thanks to its good 18 Speed. It's also one of the tier's better counters to Munchlax, a Pokemon I found myself losing to when I was using Natu or Timburr in this slot.
Knock Off massively dents Natu and Frillish and is often worth using against bulkier Pokemon like Mienfoo and Timburr, softening them for future attacks.
Rapid Spin provides support for Larvesta and allows Anorith to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after the boost, potentially allowing for a late-game sweep against weakened teams.
Brick Break beats Pawniard, Magnemite, and Ferrothorn.
X-Scissor 2HKO's itemless Foongus and OHKO's +1 Defense (Grassy Seed) Grookey.
The Defense EVs plus Eviolite allow Anorith to tank a surprising amount of relevant attacks such as defensive Mienfoo HJK, non-Life Orb Grookey +2 Grassy Glide, and defensive Frillish/Staryu Scald. Therefore, it's usually worth attacking or removing hazards in front of these threats, as the fast-paced nature of LC often means it's worth sacking Anorith for momentum. Here for a good time, not a long time.
Porygon @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 156 SpA / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tri Attack
- Psychic
- Recover
- Agility
I really like this mixed-utility Porygon set that catches a lot of opponents off-guard. It combines much of the threat of the late-game sweeping Agility set with the Recover sets that can wall certain attackers such as Koffing and Mareanie.
Tri Attack is a strong STAB that can sometimes cripple switch-ins such as Pawniard, Ferroseed, and Magnemite.
Psychic provides good coverage and can OHKO Mienfoo, Koffing, and chipped Foongus.
Recover is key to give Porygon the versatility to switch in multiple times.
Agility allows Porygon to sweep after the aforementioned Steel types and/or Frillish are significantly weakened
The given EVs take just one point off of Porygon's Sp.Atk in exchange for notably better mixed bulk. The loss in power usually isn't relevant in longer games, but the ability to repeatedly tank Koffing Sludge Bomb or Staryu Scald is often huge, allowing Porygon to then fire off a +1 attack at decent health.
Staryu @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 156 SpD / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Flip Turn
Sp.Def Staryu is a key counter to most Natu, is one half of the hazard-controlling duo alongside Anorith, and is one half of the burn-spreading duo alongside Larvesta.
Scald spreads burns and prevents Staryu from being overly passive.
Rapid Spin is crucial hazard control.
Recover provides longevity and allows Staryu to reliably beat standard Natu or burned Mienfoo/Pawniard.
Flip Turn is a nice last move that allows Staryu to surprise common switch-ins such as Mareanie, Frillish, and Foongus, potentially setting up a Diglett trap or other massive swing in momentum.
Larvesta @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 236 Def / 196 Spe
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Morning Sun
- Flare Blitz
- Flame Charge
Defensive Larvesta counters most Mienfoo, Grookey, and Timburr, otherwise massive threats to the team. Definitely watch out for Rock coverage moves on Pokemon like Mienfoo and Diglett.
U-turn allows Larvesta to pivot out against these attackers and always threaten a Diglett trap.
Morning Sun provides longevity, allowing Larvesta to get more chances to burn physical attackers.
Flare Blitz is a strong STAB that keeps Larvesta offensively potent, notably 3HKO-ing Timburr.
Flame Charge is an interesting passive attack that doesn't switch Larvesta out or cause recoil, letting Larvesta sit on threats such as slow Mienfoo and turn the tables on potential counters such as Staryu and Diglett.
Diglett @ Life Orb
Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Rock Slide
- Beat Up
Diglett traps; we know what it does and how good it is. The Eviolite set can more reliably trap Pawniard and Onix, but this set usually OHKO's Mareanie after Stealth Rock, a Staryu Flip Turn, or a Larvesta U-turn.
Earthquake is used on literally every Diglett to hit Mareanie, itemless Mienfoo/Magnemite, etc.
Sucker Punch is a weak but useful move against weakened Grookey/Diglett or weakened Choice Scarf users.
Rock Slide OHKO's Larvesta and can sometimes steal games with flinches.
Beat Up allows Diglett to OHKO Focus Sash Abra and reliably hit itemless Natu.
Threatlist
Frillish is probably the #1 annoyance to the team since it's the only good spinblocker currently in LC. I've found the best way to beat Frillish teams is to handle Frillish extremely aggressively. Don't be afraid to Knock Off with Anorith or Earthquake with Diglett or repeatedly Scald with Staryu to get it low, as Porygon and Larvesta can't hit Frillish super hard.
Weak Armor hazard setters such as Onix and Dwebble can also be annoying to face, since Anorith loses to both and Staryu can't both KO them and keep hazards off the field at the same time. As crucial as it is to keep Larvesta healthy, I generally recommend killing the hazard setters first and worrying about hazard control later.
Grassy Seed Grookey can be an issue late-game. Keep in mind that both Anorith and Larvesta can live hits from full even at +2, so keep at least one healthy.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions for the team! Thanks for reading.
-Jon
Intro
Hi everyone, I still love LC even if it's a little dead atm. I've been a fan of bulky offense in LC for a while now; I think the playstyle really shines because almost every Pokemon in LC has a counter, it's just about making sure it can get in safely and at high HP. In particular, Larvesta is an awesome Pokemon that counters most versions of the really common and threatening Mienfoo, Timburr, and Grookey, but it needs a ton of hazard control support to survive.
Right now in LC, there's basically three hazard control Pokemon: Staryu, Natu, and Timburr. I didn't feel that Natu or Timburr really fit the team, so I've been trying Anorith instead. Its unique blend of Speed, typing, and movepool makes it an important part of this team, I think, although I'd love to hear other ways on how I can fit the other "better" hazard control Pokemon instead.
Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 5
EVs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 28 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Giga Drain
- Revenge
Anorith @ Eviolite
Ability: Battle Armor
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Atk / 196 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Brick Break
- X-Scissor
Porygon @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 156 SpA / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tri Attack
- Psychic
- Recover
- Agility
Staryu @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 156 SpD / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Flip Turn
Larvesta @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 236 Def / 196 Spe
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Morning Sun
- Flare Blitz
- Flame Charge
Diglett @ Life Orb
Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Rock Slide
- Beat Up
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 5
EVs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 28 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Giga Drain
- Revenge
Anorith @ Eviolite
Ability: Battle Armor
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Atk / 196 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Brick Break
- X-Scissor
Porygon @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 156 SpA / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tri Attack
- Psychic
- Recover
- Agility
Staryu @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 156 SpD / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Flip Turn
Larvesta @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 236 Def / 196 Spe
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Morning Sun
- Flare Blitz
- Flame Charge
Diglett @ Life Orb
Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Rock Slide
- Beat Up
Team
Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 5
EVs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 28 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Giga Drain
- Revenge
First off, my favorite Ferroseed is a speedy set that can surprise standard Timburr and Trapinch while still having good bulk and utility.
Knock Off often ends up being Ferroseed's most-used move, especially against teams with Natu.
Stealth Rock is great against teams without hazard control or only Staryu, which Ferroseed counters.
Giga Drain provides decent recovery.
Revenge is useful for beating Pawniard, Magnemite, and opposing Ferrothorn 1v1 if needed.
Anorith @ Eviolite
Ability: Battle Armor
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Atk / 196 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Brick Break
- X-Scissor
It may be considered "unviable" at the moment, but I do like Anorith's role on the team. It's a glue mon, removing items and/or hazards at least once reliably thanks to its good 18 Speed. It's also one of the tier's better counters to Munchlax, a Pokemon I found myself losing to when I was using Natu or Timburr in this slot.
Knock Off massively dents Natu and Frillish and is often worth using against bulkier Pokemon like Mienfoo and Timburr, softening them for future attacks.
Rapid Spin provides support for Larvesta and allows Anorith to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after the boost, potentially allowing for a late-game sweep against weakened teams.
Brick Break beats Pawniard, Magnemite, and Ferrothorn.
X-Scissor 2HKO's itemless Foongus and OHKO's +1 Defense (Grassy Seed) Grookey.
The Defense EVs plus Eviolite allow Anorith to tank a surprising amount of relevant attacks such as defensive Mienfoo HJK, non-Life Orb Grookey +2 Grassy Glide, and defensive Frillish/Staryu Scald. Therefore, it's usually worth attacking or removing hazards in front of these threats, as the fast-paced nature of LC often means it's worth sacking Anorith for momentum. Here for a good time, not a long time.
Porygon @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 156 SpA / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tri Attack
- Psychic
- Recover
- Agility
I really like this mixed-utility Porygon set that catches a lot of opponents off-guard. It combines much of the threat of the late-game sweeping Agility set with the Recover sets that can wall certain attackers such as Koffing and Mareanie.
Tri Attack is a strong STAB that can sometimes cripple switch-ins such as Pawniard, Ferroseed, and Magnemite.
Psychic provides good coverage and can OHKO Mienfoo, Koffing, and chipped Foongus.
Recover is key to give Porygon the versatility to switch in multiple times.
Agility allows Porygon to sweep after the aforementioned Steel types and/or Frillish are significantly weakened
The given EVs take just one point off of Porygon's Sp.Atk in exchange for notably better mixed bulk. The loss in power usually isn't relevant in longer games, but the ability to repeatedly tank Koffing Sludge Bomb or Staryu Scald is often huge, allowing Porygon to then fire off a +1 attack at decent health.
Staryu @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
Level: 5
EVs: 116 HP / 156 SpD / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Flip Turn
Sp.Def Staryu is a key counter to most Natu, is one half of the hazard-controlling duo alongside Anorith, and is one half of the burn-spreading duo alongside Larvesta.
Scald spreads burns and prevents Staryu from being overly passive.
Rapid Spin is crucial hazard control.
Recover provides longevity and allows Staryu to reliably beat standard Natu or burned Mienfoo/Pawniard.
Flip Turn is a nice last move that allows Staryu to surprise common switch-ins such as Mareanie, Frillish, and Foongus, potentially setting up a Diglett trap or other massive swing in momentum.
Larvesta @ Eviolite
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 236 Def / 196 Spe
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Morning Sun
- Flare Blitz
- Flame Charge
Defensive Larvesta counters most Mienfoo, Grookey, and Timburr, otherwise massive threats to the team. Definitely watch out for Rock coverage moves on Pokemon like Mienfoo and Diglett.
U-turn allows Larvesta to pivot out against these attackers and always threaten a Diglett trap.
Morning Sun provides longevity, allowing Larvesta to get more chances to burn physical attackers.
Flare Blitz is a strong STAB that keeps Larvesta offensively potent, notably 3HKO-ing Timburr.
Flame Charge is an interesting passive attack that doesn't switch Larvesta out or cause recoil, letting Larvesta sit on threats such as slow Mienfoo and turn the tables on potential counters such as Staryu and Diglett.
Diglett @ Life Orb
Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Rock Slide
- Beat Up
Diglett traps; we know what it does and how good it is. The Eviolite set can more reliably trap Pawniard and Onix, but this set usually OHKO's Mareanie after Stealth Rock, a Staryu Flip Turn, or a Larvesta U-turn.
Earthquake is used on literally every Diglett to hit Mareanie, itemless Mienfoo/Magnemite, etc.
Sucker Punch is a weak but useful move against weakened Grookey/Diglett or weakened Choice Scarf users.
Rock Slide OHKO's Larvesta and can sometimes steal games with flinches.
Beat Up allows Diglett to OHKO Focus Sash Abra and reliably hit itemless Natu.
Threatlist
Frillish is probably the #1 annoyance to the team since it's the only good spinblocker currently in LC. I've found the best way to beat Frillish teams is to handle Frillish extremely aggressively. Don't be afraid to Knock Off with Anorith or Earthquake with Diglett or repeatedly Scald with Staryu to get it low, as Porygon and Larvesta can't hit Frillish super hard.
Weak Armor hazard setters such as Onix and Dwebble can also be annoying to face, since Anorith loses to both and Staryu can't both KO them and keep hazards off the field at the same time. As crucial as it is to keep Larvesta healthy, I generally recommend killing the hazard setters first and worrying about hazard control later.
Grassy Seed Grookey can be an issue late-game. Keep in mind that both Anorith and Larvesta can live hits from full even at +2, so keep at least one healthy.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions for the team! Thanks for reading.
-Jon
