Introduction:
If any of you guys remember my previous team, A Flash from the Past, then you also probably know that I'm a huge fan of bulky offense teams, as they provide the right amount of both offense and defense for me to work with. Consequently, I always end up using the same Pokémon in most of my teams, so this time, I wanted to try something new. For the first time, I dare to use a non-standard set in any of my teams, which happens to be Taunt Heatran. Essentially, I never planned on using it, but I had to test it for the Heatran update I've been working on. After using it, I can honestly say that everyone else should give it a shot, as it will hardly let you down. Additionally, I've attempted to offer the best support possible for maximizing the potential of this set. As such, I've come here for others to give me some feedback on my newest team, or possibly for others to steal, although I'd rather not happen.
As such, I present...
If any of you guys remember my previous team, A Flash from the Past, then you also probably know that I'm a huge fan of bulky offense teams, as they provide the right amount of both offense and defense for me to work with. Consequently, I always end up using the same Pokémon in most of my teams, so this time, I wanted to try something new. For the first time, I dare to use a non-standard set in any of my teams, which happens to be Taunt Heatran. Essentially, I never planned on using it, but I had to test it for the Heatran update I've been working on. After using it, I can honestly say that everyone else should give it a shot, as it will hardly let you down. Additionally, I've attempted to offer the best support possible for maximizing the potential of this set. As such, I've come here for others to give me some feedback on my newest team, or possibly for others to steal, although I'd rather not happen.
As such, I present...
Eternal Flames
A TauntTran based team, presented by Flashstorm1
About the name
I wanted to choose a name that made my team sound interesting. Originally, I went with "Erupting Weapon of Mass Destruction", but I felt it didn't describe my team as well as "Eternal Flames" does. Essentially, the word flames describes Heatran because it is a Fire-type, and the word eternal is used because Taunt Heatran is an underrated threat that will always be there and ready to cause teams trouble.
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Preview:
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For prose and additional information, here is a type resistance/weakness chart from the Marriland Team Builder application
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Now, here's the main attraction!
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Roserade (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Shadow Ball / Sludge Bomb
First of all, I'd like to share that Roserade is truly an underestimated lead that should be considered more often, as it is one of the best anti-leads in the OU metagame, especially when you consider that it outspeeds Azelf and Aerodactyl before the Taunt. The main reason I chose a Roserade lead here was to prevent my opponent from setting up Stealth Rock, which, in turn, allows me to switch in Salamence as often as I require it, without having to worry about 25% of my health being gone. No one expects it either, which is a plus for me. I could've used Breloom, but I felt the added Speed was more beneficial to my team, as I needed to be able to outspeed such things as Empoleon and Metagross after they use Agility.I chose the moveset I am running because it best fits my team's needs.
Sleep Powder allows me to shut down most common leads without Lum Berry. Leaf Storm gives me a 210 BP attack after factoring in STAB, making it very powerful against Pokémon that don't resist it. Hidden Power Ground allows me to hit Heatran switch-ins for super effective; I didn't feel Hidden Power Fire or Ice was needed, as Scizor beats me anyways, and Roserade is too slow to outspeed most variants of Salamence. The EVs are also straight from the analysis, as I wanted to deal as much damage as possible. I'm considering using Sludge Bomb over Shadow Ball so I don't have to face the consequences of using Leaf Storm, but Steel-types like to come in on Roserade a lot, so I'm not too sure here.
Roserade benefits Heatran by taking Water-type attacks directed at it, while also providing a safe switch-in for Heatran by luring in Fire-type attacks.
How does Roserade handle the current top 10 leads in the OU metagame?
Metagross - Most Metagross leads don't carry Lum Berry, so I just hope Sleep Powder hits so I don't get KOed by Meteor Mash.
Azelf - Most Azelf will try to Taunt me, in which case, I still put it to sleep, as Choice Scarf allows me to outspeed Azelf.
Jirachi - Roserade is unable to outspeed ScarfAchi, so I'll go to Heatran to take the expected Iron Head, and either use Taunt or set up Stealth Rock after that.
Swampert - Normally, they won't risk staying in, although some players do keep it in for some odd reason. As always, I just use Sleep Powder so Swampert will have a lower chance of being able to set up Stealth Rock.
Aerodactyl - I'll normally use Leaf Storm which 2HKOes as they Taunt, or I'll use Sleep Powder to play it safe.
Infernape - I outspeed the standard Lead Infernape, so I put it to sleep before it can do anything to me.
Hippowdon - Leaf Storm is enough to scare it away, and Sleep Powder cripples possible switch-ins.
Bronzong - Bronzong can be a bit trouble, as Lum Berry is a common item on lead variants. I haven't come accross one yet, but I would probably attempt to put it to sleep regardless.
Ninjask - I outspeed the standard Ninjask with Choice Scarf, so I just hope they don't use Protect so I can outspeed and put them to sleep. If not, I can use Scizor to hit it with Bullet Punch.
Tyranitar - Leaf Storm deals a heavy amount of damage. It can also be crippled by Sleep Powder.
Azelf - Most Azelf will try to Taunt me, in which case, I still put it to sleep, as Choice Scarf allows me to outspeed Azelf.
Jirachi - Roserade is unable to outspeed ScarfAchi, so I'll go to Heatran to take the expected Iron Head, and either use Taunt or set up Stealth Rock after that.
Swampert - Normally, they won't risk staying in, although some players do keep it in for some odd reason. As always, I just use Sleep Powder so Swampert will have a lower chance of being able to set up Stealth Rock.
Aerodactyl - I'll normally use Leaf Storm which 2HKOes as they Taunt, or I'll use Sleep Powder to play it safe.
Infernape - I outspeed the standard Lead Infernape, so I put it to sleep before it can do anything to me.
Hippowdon - Leaf Storm is enough to scare it away, and Sleep Powder cripples possible switch-ins.
Bronzong - Bronzong can be a bit trouble, as Lum Berry is a common item on lead variants. I haven't come accross one yet, but I would probably attempt to put it to sleep regardless.
Ninjask - I outspeed the standard Ninjask with Choice Scarf, so I just hope they don't use Protect so I can outspeed and put them to sleep. If not, I can use Scizor to hit it with Bullet Punch.
Tyranitar - Leaf Storm deals a heavy amount of damage. It can also be crippled by Sleep Powder.
Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 228 HP/28 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
Heatran is the main star of the show here, and after testing this set a bit, I think it has the potential to become one of Heatran's standard sets if people used it a little bit more. Heatran gives me a nice weapon against both offensive and stall teams, by making any attempts to set-up useless thanks to Taunt. I opted to use the defensive Taunt set instead of the offensive variant, as I wanted Heatran to have multiple opportunities to switch in, especially since it's the core of the team.
The set is, once again, taken straight from the analysis. 28 Speed EVs allow me to outspeed some variants of Tyranitar so I can hit them with Earth Power. The HP EVs give me optimal bulk, while max Special Attack allows Fire Blast to deal a respectable amount of damage to any pokemon. Taunt allow me to cripple incoming switch-ins such as Gyarados, by preventing them from using Dragon Dance. I opted for Stealth Rock over Metal Sound as I needed Stealth Rock somewhere on the team. Fire Blast is a great STAB move, having a 180 BP with STAB calculated. Earth Power allows me to deal a respectable amount of damage to Tyranitar and possible Heatran switch-ins.
I tend to find the strategy behind using the variant of Heatran simple. By using Taunt, I can freely switch in any of my Pokémon, as I no longer have to fear crippling status. Against Latias, I can switch in Salamence to taken the expected Surf, then to Scizor to take the obvious Dragon-type attack, and essentially trap it with Pursuit. If a Water-type comes in, I'll usually go to Starmie who can threaten most Water-types with a Life Orbed Thunderbolt. Against anything else, I'll usually go to Salamence and try to set up.
Salamence (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 232 Atk/252 Spd/24 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
Salamence has always been one of my favorite Pokémon ever since it was first introduced back in Ruby and Sapphire. Who doesn't love a dragon who can shoot freaking fire at you? Anyways, I picked Salamence as my team's main sweeper instead of say, Gyarados, because Salamence offers the immediate strrength I need to deal heavy damage during the middle portions of the game. In fact, I haven't used Salamence much in my bulky offenses teams, as I've mainly opted for the Classic MixMence set, but I figured DDMence would work great with Taunt support from Heatran.
I opted for max Speed on Salamence, as I'd prefer at least tying with Flygon and ScarfMence who try to revenge kill me. Other than that, the spread is exactly what you'd expect. The given Special Attack EVs allow me to OHKO Skarmory with Fire Blast, while the rest of the EVs go into Attack for maximum hitting power. Outrage deals a respectable amount of damage to anything, including Steel-types. Earthquake allows me to hit Steel-types expecting to wall me, such as Empoleon. Using Life Orb over Leftovers allows me to hit as hard as possible.
Salamence is a great Pokémon to accompany Taunt Heatran from my own experience. Since Taunt prevents the opponent from using status, I can easily switch in Salamence into defensively oriented Pokémon such as Blissey, and then proceed to set up from there, as Seismic Toss won't be doing enough to wear me down. Most of the time though, I like to switch in Salamence after one of my own Pokémon has fainted, as Intimidate can hamper most physical sweepers.
Salamence takes Fighting- and Fire-type attacks directed at Heatran, while Heatran makes a great switch-in to Dragon- and Ice-type attacks.
Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Oh no, another Scizor... well, I admit it is extremely overused, but people use it for a reason. This team needed a Pokémon to revenge kill threats such as DDMence, and Scizor was the best Pokémon for the job. Anyways, Scizor's sprite looks extremely bad ass! Other than that, I've been using Scizor on a lot of my bulky offense teams, so it shouldn't be too odd it makes another appearance here. If you hate Scizor, then you are just a jerk.
I had a tough choice deciding between the Choice Bander set and the bulky Swords Dancer set. Mainly, I wanted to use the SD set as it is capable of taking repeated hits thanks to Roost, and I get more power than through using Choice Band. However, I decided for Choice Band because I needed to be able to deal immediate damage with Bullet Punch to prevent Salamence from sweeping through my team. I opted for the EV spread from the analysis, as it gives me optimal bulk and a lot of Attack. U-Turn allows me to scout for counters, Bullet Punch revenges threatening Pokémon to my team, Superpower hits incoming Steel-types, while Pursuit allows me to "trap" pesky Psychic-types.
Scizor doesn't really benefit Heatran directly, except for luring in Fire-type attacks for a free Flash Fire boost. However, Scizor has managed to save my ass multiple times.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Recover
I haven't used Life Orb Starmie before, except once on a Cursetar team I developed a few weeks ago. Regardless, I have heard just how much of an incredible sweeper it is, especially against offensive teams, so I wanted to give it a try just to see how it works. I picked this over the Rapid Spin support set for two reasons: 1) Roserade prevents Stealth Rock a fair amount of the time, and 2) I like the power the offensive set has to offer.
I used maximum Special Attack and Speed as I wanted Starmie to sweep as best as possible. Hydro Pump puts a major hurt in anything that doesn't resist, Ice Beam hits Latias who expect to set up on me, Thunderbolt hits Gyarados and Bulky Waters who give Heatran trouble, and Recover allows me to heal as needed.
Starmie supports Heatran by being my primary counter to Gyarados, as Taunt prevents it from setting up Dragon Dance. What I'll usually do is switch in Salamence to take the Waterfall, then Starmie to take the Stone Edge or Ice Fang, and then act accordingly from there. Starmie also takes Water-type attacks aimed at Heatran extremely well.
Tyranitar (M) @ Babiri Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
Tyranitar is mainly filler, but I used the Dragon Dance variant in the team I used for World Cup, and I absolutely loved it, so I decided to use it again. Tyranitar is easily the most replaceable member of the team, but it's normally too good to pass up. The last time I used the Dragon Dance set, I could easily plow through weakened teams, just in case anyone doubts the power of this set.
The choice in attacks give me the best possible coverage. Crunch allows me to hit most Pokémon for neutral damage, while Stone Edge hits Flying-types who can cause problems. Fire Punch allows me to handily deal with Steel-types, in particular, Scizor, who can only take away about half of my health thanks to Babiri Berry. A Jolly nature is used so I can outspeed base 115's and below.
I have a specific strategy when using Tyranitar, as this teams hate Sandstorm being up for the most part. Normally, I save Tyranitar for late game when it is capable of sweeping through a team here. Now, Salamence and Tyranitar also are great offensive partners, especially on this team. Salamence will make Swampert and Machamp unable to successfully wall Tyranitar, meaning I can even sweep straight through most stall teams, as Crunch hits Rotom-A and Celebi, Stone Edge hits Gyarados and Blissey, while Fire Punch ruins Forretress.
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Threat List:
I'll update later as I'm too lazy to do it right now.
Defensive Threats
Offensive Threats:
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Team Building Process:
I will update this at a later time as well.
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Team Building Process:
I will update this at a later time as well.
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Current Problems:
I'm going to admit I haven't used this team much, particularly since I only started working on the Heatran update just recently. However, out of the battles I've been in, I feel this team has good potential, so I think that with everyone's help and support, we can finally make Taunt a standard option on Heatran instead of the Choice Scarf and Substitute sets everyone uses.
Thanks for everyone who took a look at my thread, and all comments and suggestions are welcome
- Lack of a Rock-type resist
- Lack of an additional switch in to Ground-type attacks which can give my team trouble
I'm going to admit I haven't used this team much, particularly since I only started working on the Heatran update just recently. However, out of the battles I've been in, I feel this team has good potential, so I think that with everyone's help and support, we can finally make Taunt a standard option on Heatran instead of the Choice Scarf and Substitute sets everyone uses.
Thanks for everyone who took a look at my thread, and all comments and suggestions are welcome
