Hey, I had the sudden desire to play a more defensive team than what I'm used to playing, and I think I've brought back a Pokémon that is no longer played in this kind of team archetype, and I'm of course talking about Slowbro! Also in this team all the Pokémon we play can heal themselves!
Dragonite (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Ice Spinner
So I started building the team around Dragonite. With his Multiscale ability and Roost, he can be useful defensively. But here we mainly play him as an end-game sweeper with Dragon Dance to allow him to increase his damage and speed. Initially I was playing the Dragon Claw and Fire Punch attack duo but I faced to much Water-Fairy Pokémon so I changed for Earthquake / Ice Spinner to hopefully hit the all meta.
With the tera Ground, Dragonite gain an immunity to Thunder Wave and it allows him to increase the power of EQ at the same time.
Since I play it without priority attacks, I prefer to play it with a Jolly nature so that I can outspeed all the non-scarf Pokémon after one Dragon Dance, especially Dragapult.
Iron Moth @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fiery Dance
- Discharge
- Toxic Spikes
- Morning Sun
The second Pokémon I put on the team is Iron Moth. We don't see him in this kind of balance team because of his inconsistent Fiery Dance attack's. But I'm playing it here to contain Gholdengo. Indeed, with the Tera Electric, Iron Moth gain an immunity to paralysis. In addition, the tera increases the damage of Discharge. And Discharge is useful against Water-types like Toxapex. With Morning Sun and the boots, the idea is that Iron Moth can come back several times on these threats that are Gholdengo and Toxapex. He can also provides support with Toxic Spikes against offensive teams.
It is also our fastest Pokémon on the team so it can be useful for revenge kills.
Mandibuzz @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Big Pecks
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
- Foul Play
Mandibuzz is a Flying-type that still has access to Defog, so we're playing him over an other bird. And unlike Corviknight who needs Iron Defense and Body Press to handle physical attackers, Mandibuzz only needs Foul Play. So you can play it with U-turn and it's useful because Gholdengo completely blocks Defog users. We can therefore pivot to provide an appropriate response.
I play it with the Big Pecks talent, because the Sand teams are less meta than Samurott-H with his Razor Shell attack.
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave
Chansey is the team's rocker and special tank. Unlike its Blissey evolution, it is bulkier thanks to Eviolite and therefore does not need Calm Mind to handle special sweepers.
Slowbro (F) @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic Noise
- Body Press
- Slack Off
- Trick
Slowbro supports Mandibuzz to deal with Pokémon that resist Foul Play. Indeed, with Body Press, Slowbro can win against Kingambit and with Psychic Noise he can handle Great Tusk and Zamazenta.
With Colbur Berry, Slowbro can absorb Knock Off and allow other Pokémon on our team to keep their items.
We don't play Knock Off on the team, which handicaps us against more defensive teams such as mono-boot teams, so Trick on Slowbro allows you to remove the item from an opposing Pokémon and gain a useful item on him.
Gholdengo @ Covert Cloak
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Make It Rain
Finally, Gholdengo was added to the team to take advantage of the defensive utility that his Steel-type brings. In addition, with the Covert Cloak he strengthens our team against Garganacl. And with Nasty Plot, Gholdengo is very good at putting pressure against defensive teams.
Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2347420517-1j77gwamb4wrf4muq6ujq9gf58e8tm0pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2347472173-th1jxtbevna6s49owd53yni1ixk74r4pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2347520844-28npy3495mlstfxgrclpnbp0nwpdxekpw
Dragonite (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Ice Spinner
So I started building the team around Dragonite. With his Multiscale ability and Roost, he can be useful defensively. But here we mainly play him as an end-game sweeper with Dragon Dance to allow him to increase his damage and speed. Initially I was playing the Dragon Claw and Fire Punch attack duo but I faced to much Water-Fairy Pokémon so I changed for Earthquake / Ice Spinner to hopefully hit the all meta.
With the tera Ground, Dragonite gain an immunity to Thunder Wave and it allows him to increase the power of EQ at the same time.
Since I play it without priority attacks, I prefer to play it with a Jolly nature so that I can outspeed all the non-scarf Pokémon after one Dragon Dance, especially Dragapult.
Iron Moth @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fiery Dance
- Discharge
- Toxic Spikes
- Morning Sun
The second Pokémon I put on the team is Iron Moth. We don't see him in this kind of balance team because of his inconsistent Fiery Dance attack's. But I'm playing it here to contain Gholdengo. Indeed, with the Tera Electric, Iron Moth gain an immunity to paralysis. In addition, the tera increases the damage of Discharge. And Discharge is useful against Water-types like Toxapex. With Morning Sun and the boots, the idea is that Iron Moth can come back several times on these threats that are Gholdengo and Toxapex. He can also provides support with Toxic Spikes against offensive teams.
It is also our fastest Pokémon on the team so it can be useful for revenge kills.
Mandibuzz @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Big Pecks
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
- Foul Play
Mandibuzz is a Flying-type that still has access to Defog, so we're playing him over an other bird. And unlike Corviknight who needs Iron Defense and Body Press to handle physical attackers, Mandibuzz only needs Foul Play. So you can play it with U-turn and it's useful because Gholdengo completely blocks Defog users. We can therefore pivot to provide an appropriate response.
I play it with the Big Pecks talent, because the Sand teams are less meta than Samurott-H with his Razor Shell attack.
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave
Chansey is the team's rocker and special tank. Unlike its Blissey evolution, it is bulkier thanks to Eviolite and therefore does not need Calm Mind to handle special sweepers.
Slowbro (F) @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic Noise
- Body Press
- Slack Off
- Trick
Slowbro supports Mandibuzz to deal with Pokémon that resist Foul Play. Indeed, with Body Press, Slowbro can win against Kingambit and with Psychic Noise he can handle Great Tusk and Zamazenta.
With Colbur Berry, Slowbro can absorb Knock Off and allow other Pokémon on our team to keep their items.
We don't play Knock Off on the team, which handicaps us against more defensive teams such as mono-boot teams, so Trick on Slowbro allows you to remove the item from an opposing Pokémon and gain a useful item on him.
Gholdengo @ Covert Cloak
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Make It Rain
Finally, Gholdengo was added to the team to take advantage of the defensive utility that his Steel-type brings. In addition, with the Covert Cloak he strengthens our team against Garganacl. And with Nasty Plot, Gholdengo is very good at putting pressure against defensive teams.
Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2347420517-1j77gwamb4wrf4muq6ujq9gf58e8tm0pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2347472173-th1jxtbevna6s49owd53yni1ixk74r4pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2347520844-28npy3495mlstfxgrclpnbp0nwpdxekpw
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