Extrapolation - An OU Semi-Stall Team
Written By BST
(The XY Sprites look simply terrible. I'm keeping old-school. Ah, the good days...)
Hello Smogon, and welcome to my second RMT on these forums. Most of you know me from my first RMT, but to those of you who don’t, let me introduce myself. I joined Smogon in actuality just a month ago, but have been a long-time lurker and personally believe I have the basics covered. I have an enthusiasm for making teams that long surpasses my Smogon history, and to a part my battling prowess as well. After seeing the relative success of my previous team, I decided to try for a change of pace. I’ve always been an avid balance user from Generation 4, where I first debuted in the competitive scene, but I must admit, I’ve had a certain fondness for more stall-like playstyles. The problem was, so many of them were hit-or-miss teams, unlike stall’s original motto of “reliability and consistency”. I din’t know if the teams were genuinely unsuccessful, or I was attempting to play stall like I played balance. After testing many stall teams made by competent battlers, I had to resign myself to the latter.
Instead of returning to balance, however, I decided to give stall one last shot. It was now my goal to create a semi-stall team that even mediocre battlers (of some level, of course) could use successfully. This may not be the most original team in a Generation 5 context, but many of these pokemon are criminally in Generation 6. The origins of the team were in a survey that I took to determine which pokemon (or better put, which combination of pokemon) could counter most of the pokemon in this metagame. Ferrothorn, Jellicent and Tyranitar forms an excellent core to counter, lure and kill many top threats. Hippowdon serves as a solid backup physical wall and the team’s Stealth Rocker, while Latias and Togekiss support their teammates in turn with Defog, Wish, and Heal Bell.
This team’s probably the most consistent team I’ve ever used on the ladder. Though it doesn’t have the sheer force Madre Terra had, it can deal with a much wider variety of threats and slowly pull their way through. It only possesses a handful of pokemon that can genuinely hurt this team. Of course, when these do appear, they can wreak heavy damage; however, these still can be countered by committee where a sole pokemon fails. I’ve managed to achieve quite a high rating of 2400 (by my standards, since I regard myself more of a team builder and a theorist rather than a practical battler). However, this rambling’s gone long enough.
Enter - Extrapolation
Hippowdon (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
Hippowdon, though often underestimated in favor of the more popular Sandstorm inducer Tyranitar, has a superior typing and stats to be one of the best physical walls in the whole of pokemon. Though its Ground typing doesn't offer it a whole lot of resistances, it also ensures that most commonly seen physical attacks will be a neutral hit at worst. With its excellent 108 / 118 physically defensive stats, it has all the tools it needs to wall a variety of popular physical attackers. Both Lucario and Mawile are 2HKO'ed, while a +2 Genesect still can't 2HKO Hippowdon unless it gets several flinches with Iron Head. Hippowdon also possesses excellent recovery in the form if Slack Off, giving it a way to stall out physically-based opponents immune to Earthquake, such as Dragonite and Salamence. With full investment in defense and HP and a boosting nature, Hippowdon is the team's go-to answer for physical attackers. However, even with superior defensive stats and resistance to Stealth Rock, it still needs to be maintained at a good amount of health to consistently wall boosted sweepers such as Swords Dance Lucario. With Hippowdon, recovery is usually more important than momentum. Even if you know an opponent's going to switch, it's often best to stay in and recover rather than going for a Toxic. Hippowdon' greatest enemy (and something you should always keep away if value its life) is a special attacker. Powerhouses such as Latios, Keldeo and even Rotom-W can deal heavy damage or KO it straight away with their respective STAB moves, while Hippowdon struggles to do any meaningful damage back. Pokemon using Substitute and is resistant or immune to Hippowdon can always beat it 1v1; SubToxic Gliscor and Dragonite are both good examples of this.
Hippowdon also serves as my sole Stealth Rocker. Though the maximum damage it can deal is considerably smaller than with all layers of Spikes up, Stealth Rock excels in the sense that it hits all pokemon as Rock has no immunities. It's usually my best option against Swords Dance Talonflame, as Tyranitar can easily be worn down if I don't get a Wish to it in time. It also forces momentum-based strategies to play a little more conservatively, as opposing pokemon will quickly be worn down upon switch-in. I prioritize the ability to set it up multiple times a match, especially if Latias is forced to Defog against opposing stall teams. Since this team can take on stall relatively well, I don't really mind Stealth Rocks from being removed from the field unless it's absolutely necessary to shut down a Talonflame or something similar. However, I need to have it on a pivot that has many opportunities to switch in on common threats; thus the choice of Hippowdon over a slot on Tyranitar. Hippowdon is also my main Sandstorm inducer. Though this team doesn't overtly rely on Sandstorm with the absence of late-game sweepers such as Excadrill or Stoutland or powerful wallbreakers such as Garchomp, it really appreciates the residual damage it provides. It goes a long way to nullifying Leftovers on common tanks such as Rotom-W, and leaves them susceptible to other sources of chip damage if it does not have reliable recovery. This team tends to operate around the defensive core of Jellicent, Ferrothorn and Hippowdon, meaning Sandstorm does not significantly hurt the non-immune members. Latias and Togekiss usually only switches in when the team needs extensive support or a specific threat needs to be dealt with; as such, Sandstorm overall helps the team rather than hurt it. This team, though of a sand-stall team archetype, is not based around the concept. It was mostly pure chance that most of the pokemon that serves the team well induces or gets aided by sandstorm.
Ferrothorn (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Knock Off
- Gyro Ball
If Hippowdon's reliable recovery makes it an excellent physical wall, Ferrothorn serves as the "catch-all" counter to many common pokemon. Top threats such as Rotom-W and Greninja without Hidden Power [Fire] are all hard countered by Ferrothorn's unique typing and excellent mixed defensive stats. As with previous generations, it's Grass/Steel typing allows it to take a wide variety of attacks. Ferrothorn is the primary staller on this team. As much as this team aims to spread responsibility among its members, Ferrothorn is by far the most reliable user. Leech Seed allows it to recover 1/8th of its health per turn. Though Ferrothorn lacks powerful attacks that could stop set-up sweepers in their tracks, the residual damage provided by Leech Seed combined with potential sandstorm damage puts any opponent on a harsh timer. On the other hand, Ferrothorn capitalizes on the switches that Leech Seed causes using Knock Off. Even from such a defensive wall, a Knock Off does a surprising amount to offensive pokemon, while simultaneously killing their offensive potential by removing any Life Orbs or Choice items they may have. Similar in function to a shuffler, Ferrothorn gives this team an edge against opposing stall teams and offensive archetypes alike. It's very useful to strip opposing walls that lack recovery (such as Heatran and opposing Ferrothorn) of their precious leftovers, thus giving me opportunities to slowly but surely chip away at their health. On the topic of items, this team often suffers the injustice of being Knocked Off in turn. Ferrothorn usually is the best pokemon to send in in such a situation. Ferrothorn was originally designed to work without Leftovers, meaning the loss of its item doesn't hurt its defensive prowess as much. The fact that its ability hurts opposing users is just a plus.
Most stall teams are very weak to momentum-based strategies when facing fast scouts with super effective moves. However, Ferrothorn remedies this flaw somewhat. It's grass typing and good special bulk allows it to switch in on Rotom-W, as well as traditional electric-type scouts with BoltBeam coverage. On the other hand, Iron Barbs in conjunction with Rocky Helmet allows Ferrothorn to quickly wear down U-Turners. This allows Ferrothorn to quickly wear down VoltTurning chains with additional damage from lack of Leftovers via Knock Off and residual damage on the switch-in with Leech Seed. The reason Ferrothorn works so well is that with good defensive stats, even a +2 Pinsir won’t be able to 1HKO it, while several hits on Ferrothorn still holding Rocky Helmet will deal massive amounts of damage. As a benchmark, a physical hit deals ~30% to the user, meaning 3 hits after Stealth Rock will kill any attacker. Ferrothorn also serves as my hazards machine. With the effectiveness of the unblockable Defog buffed, I use Spikes in a different way than traditional stall teams do. I accept the fact that they will be removed multiple times a match. Oftentimes, I only use it to weaken a specific threat so that Tyranitar can successfully trap it, and only rarely are all three layers down on the field. Ferrothorn usually has something better to do, and Spiking, outside of special circumstances, should only be done when you have hardcountered the opposition.
Jellicent (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
Jellicent serves as an excellent mixed wall. Blessed with an excellent typing and defensive stats as well as stylish facial hair, Jellicent is the team’s “catch-all” pokemon. It can comfortably live most unboosted hits with HP to spare and cripple the attacker with a burn, or deal heavy damage to it with Scald coming off a decent 85 Special Attack. Jellicent’s typing and moveset allows this team to perform well against stall teams. Though spinblocking has become much less of an necessity for semi-stall and stall alike because of the buff to Defog, it still is excellent to have against stall-based team archetypes that cannot afford to use Defog because it renders their hazards useless as well. You have to decide if Spiking is a good idea in the current situation; and because stall teams switch extremely often, extra entry hazard damage is a godsend. Jellicent is the guardian of those, if you will, and keeps pressure on the opposing team. Jellicent also shuts down defensive teams with Taunt. It outspeeds pokemon such as Ferrothorn and prevents them from Leech Seeding or laying down Spikes of their own; and since this team detests residual damage, especially Leech Seed (Ferrothorn can wall it, but it can’t do anything back other than Knock Off), proper use of Taunt is essential for optimal performance against stall.
Jellicent is also effective against offensive teams as well. Its ghost typing allows it to wall Special Lucario with Fighting/Steel coverage (while Fighting/Dark is walled by Togekiss), as well as many other physically based Fighting-types and cripple them with Will-O-Wisp. With the buff to its accuracy it recieved, it hits much more consistently, thus reducing the chance of losing because Will-O-Wisp missed and Jellicent got 2HKO’ed. Will-O-Wisp combined with Taunt also allows me to shut down tanks such as Quagsire, Clefable, and Hippowdon. Water Absorb allows Jellicent to act as a check to many water-types, including Azumarill and Keldeo. Its typing combined with immunity to water attacks makes it an excellent switch-in to a variety of pokemon that would otherwise run through this team. Jirachi fails to do any meaningful damage, Heatran is forced out, and Choice-locked Azumarill often ends up healing it. Jellicent can even take on Tyranitar and Ferrothorn; if one burns them on the switch-in, Taunt and Recover can often stall them out quite easily; in the case of Choice Band Tyranitar, which will still deal good damage on Jellicent, Ferrothorn can inflict massive damage on it.
Tyranitar (F) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
Tyranitar gives this otherwise extremely passive stall team an offensive edge. It’s the only member that does not possess any sort of recovery option whatsoever. This means Tyranitar should be used sparingly, especially when the operation involves tanking hits. Tyranitar’s HP investment, along with its natural bulk allow it to take a variety of attacks, but without Wish support it will die relatively quickly, so keep that in mind. Tyranitar’s role is somewhat out of place in a stall team, but works incredibly well. My mentality is this; if a threat is allowed to switch in and out at will, striking in opportune moments, even the best stall team’s defenses will crumble. Tyranitar fixes this by Pursuit-trapping game-breaking threats as they switches out. Dark’s new buff means that a Choice Band-boosted Pursuit can readily kill or cripple any offensive pokemon not named Greninja. Really, opposing players never suspect this set; at most, they believe Tyranitar to be a dedicated special wall. The first Pursuit should be used sparingly, because you have the element of surprise on your side. If you manage to trap a Talonflame (which shouldn’t be hard unless you switch in on a U-Turn), you’re golden. Though U-Turn can be annoying at times, keeping Stealth Rock up will make them prioritise Roost over momentum when they have a free turn. Tyranitar’s Pursuit will handily make work of Talonflame if it switches out; even if it does a suicide run, it can still deal over 56% even on defensive variants. Though some offensive pokemon trouble this team more than others, an intelligent player wielding Tyranitar can easily remove them from the game. This is really one of the core reasons for the team’s success.
However, Tyranitar isn’t just limited to Pursuit trapping. It can use its garangutan power to blow holes in opposing stall (or semi-stall) teams so that my other teammates can clean up. Though Mandibuzz is incredibly annoying, Tyranitar can, with proper prediction, deal heavy damage to it with Stone Edge and Superpower. If it has Foul Play, Stone Edge can handily 2HKO it, while Knock Off variants can be dealt with bringing it down to about a quarter of its health with Stone Edge, then Superpower on the Roost. As these examples show, Tyranitar is truly what holds this team together, and helps it deal with various threats the team wouldn’t be able to deal with overall. I took a leaf out of Hyper Offence’s book in a sense; even though they can’t take hits to save their lives, they can overpower would-be counters with offensive momentum and pressure. It’s a mentality that suggests taking care of threatening elements before they can harm you; and though it may seem very out of place in a stall team, it makes this team incredibly versatile.
On a different note, Tyranitar serves as a back-up sandstorm inducer to Hippowdon. Because they share mostly different checks and counters, Tyranitar could potentially come in on a double switch to set up sandstorm again. Dual sandstorm inducers really prevents this team from being demolished by opposing Sun and Rain teams, especially with the ubiquity. Tyranitar can take care of Charizard-Y (and deal heavy damage to it as it switches out), while Hippowdon completely walls its X counterpart. Politoed can be a lot harder to switch into, but Ferrothorn can usually force it out, where Tyranitar or Hippowdon comes in. However, one must keep in mind that Tyranitar is a lot frailer than Hippowdon; and should be treated like the “win condition” for balance teams; though it can be used mid-game to deal damage and weaken its counters, it should save its strength for when it is really needed. Though Tyranitar isn’t sweeping anytime soon, the lack of recovery indicated it should be treated similarly. Wish support somewhat alleviates this problem, but it shouldn’t be relied on too much, since if Togekiss can’t deliver a Wish to Tyranitar in time, it could potentially cost this team the match. There isn’t really much else to explain about Tyranitar; since this team values versatility and flexibility, every situation is different. One must be able to see what is really needed, and act on it. This resulted in a team that new players can use well, but becomes a truly dangerous weapon in a competent player’s hands.
Togekiss (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Wish
- Heal Bell
- Thunder Wave
- Air Slash
Togekiss is the defensive anchor of this team because it takes on a good amount of the team’s special sponging. Its primary function is Heal Bell support. Since many pokemon on this team are crippled by a well-timed burn or Toxic, Heal Bell heals those status ailments so the main pokemon on the team continue to wall troublesome threats. It also stops recovery-less pokemon such as Tyranitar and Ferrothorn from being worn down by residual damage. This is especially important for Ferrothorn, since as one of the team’s major defensive foundations it takes attacks frequently, which can add up to a fatal amount before Togekiss gets a chance to pass off a Wish. With Ferrothorn taking on Rotom-W extremely often, getting burnt is to be expected. Heal Bell prevents opposing stall teams from outstalling this semi-stall team; though it is more effective against setup sweepers and offensive teams, the lack of defensive ability compared to fully conformed passive stall teams allow them to get outstalled via residual damage too easily.
Togekiss also provides Wish support for recovery-less pokemon on the team. Ferrothorn really appreciates recovery outside of Leech Seed, and though it can usually heal back with several turns of Leech Seed when coming in on a resisted hit, when it is required to live through a super effective or powerful STAB hit, it can often become weakened and unable to deal with end-game sweepers. Wish provides insurance against that. It also becomes a buffer for pokemon that would otherwise be 2HKO’ed by a powerful wallbreaker to switch in. As the opposition switches, a well-timed Wish can lead to a defensive wall taking half damage, then healing all health back at the end of the turn, essentially giving the player a full-health wall to deal with.
However, the defensive moveset and EV spread doesn’t imply that Togekiss is unable to defend itself. On the contrary; apart from Latias, Tyranitar and perhaps Ferrothorn, it is one of the offensive mainstays that stop stall in its tracks. Air Slash when combined with Togekiss’s ability, Serene Grace, gives it a 60% flinch rate that allow Togekiss to take on slower threats that would otherwise live multiple hits from it as the opponent watches helplessly. Similar to Jirachi, Togekiss has a more tank-like offensive presence. However, boasting superior firepower and offensive typing, Togekiss has the ability to flinch its way through otherwise troublesome walls, such as Ferrothorn and Hippowdon. Thunder Wave works hand-in-hand with Air Slash’s 60% (or 100%, by my experience) flinch rate by reducing even Scarf pokemon’s speed to a numeral lower than Togekiss’s, allowing it to abuse Air Slash more easily. It also provides a way to render offensive sweepers useless and much more easier to take on. Though luck shouldn’t be relied on, it can become a powerful ally; and by using Togekiss correctly, it can hand you the game even in an otherwise disadvantageous situation,
Latias (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 164 Def / 96 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Defog
- Reflect Type
Latias is the most situational of all the team, but is arguably extremely important. Its primary function is to remove opposing hazards. Stealth Rock and Spikes can do a number to the team, especially on recovery-less pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Tyranitar, while Toxic Spikes makes half the team grind to a halt. It seems quite out-of-place on a stall team. However, one will have to remember this team is semi-stall, and thus is very flexible. Oftentimes, I’ll only set up one layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock. Setters are usually bulky enough to use them multiple times a match; while removing Stealth Rock from offensive teams are essential. For example, Hippowdon can usually take a +2 Close Combat from Jolly Lucario and retaliate with Earthquake. However, after Stealth Rocks it is always cleanly KO’ed, leaving the team open to further attack. Defog should be used sparingly; early-game, keeping hazards off is more important than keeping your own hazards on; however, nearing a sweep, one should aim to have as many hazards on the field as possible to give the offensively lacking members a good chance at taking them out as they set up. Latias’s good typing allows it to function as a bulky tank. Though Fairy-types can still wall Latias single-handedly, Dragon still has remarkably little amounts of resists. Dragon Pulse is surprisingly powerful. Coming off a good 110 Special Attack stat, it can usually 2HKO or 3HKO most pokemon that doesn’t resist it. Pokemon such as Talonflame are easily insta-killed after Stealth Rock, while even offensive Tyranitar takes a number from it.
Latias’ true ability, however, lies in its versatility. Reflect Type turns its typing into that of its opponents, which is incredibly useful. First of all, it’s great for dealing with defensive grass-types. Sleep Powder, Spore, and Leech Seed fails to work on a grass-type Latias, while Latias can slowly but surely wear them down with Dragon Pulse. It can take advantage of Rotom-W’s excellent defensive typing (combined with Latias’s naturally gained Levitate) to wall pokemon such as Scizor that attempt to switch in; or even better, reflect into Scizor to easily tank a Bullet Punch and deal damage to the switch-in. Tyranitars attempting to Pursuit can easily be nullified by transforming into a Dark-type; if it’s a Choice Band variant, Latias can actually win one-on-one. I don’t claim to have discovered all the possibilities that Reflect Type offers. With it, Latias becomes a team leader; something that can scout threats and deal with them itself.
Final Words
This team, compared to my last RMT, is somewhat incomplete. Rather than a team showcase, I know myself that I may be flawed in stall. As a balanced player, this is somewhat understandable. This time, I’m asking for your help to bring this team to the best it can possibly be. I was pleasantly surprised by the feedback I got on Madre Terra: let us do it again. Thank you for reading this RMT, and feel free to add your opinions to the mix.
Written By BST
(The XY Sprites look simply terrible. I'm keeping old-school. Ah, the good days...)
Hello Smogon, and welcome to my second RMT on these forums. Most of you know me from my first RMT, but to those of you who don’t, let me introduce myself. I joined Smogon in actuality just a month ago, but have been a long-time lurker and personally believe I have the basics covered. I have an enthusiasm for making teams that long surpasses my Smogon history, and to a part my battling prowess as well. After seeing the relative success of my previous team, I decided to try for a change of pace. I’ve always been an avid balance user from Generation 4, where I first debuted in the competitive scene, but I must admit, I’ve had a certain fondness for more stall-like playstyles. The problem was, so many of them were hit-or-miss teams, unlike stall’s original motto of “reliability and consistency”. I din’t know if the teams were genuinely unsuccessful, or I was attempting to play stall like I played balance. After testing many stall teams made by competent battlers, I had to resign myself to the latter.
Instead of returning to balance, however, I decided to give stall one last shot. It was now my goal to create a semi-stall team that even mediocre battlers (of some level, of course) could use successfully. This may not be the most original team in a Generation 5 context, but many of these pokemon are criminally in Generation 6. The origins of the team were in a survey that I took to determine which pokemon (or better put, which combination of pokemon) could counter most of the pokemon in this metagame. Ferrothorn, Jellicent and Tyranitar forms an excellent core to counter, lure and kill many top threats. Hippowdon serves as a solid backup physical wall and the team’s Stealth Rocker, while Latias and Togekiss support their teammates in turn with Defog, Wish, and Heal Bell.
This team’s probably the most consistent team I’ve ever used on the ladder. Though it doesn’t have the sheer force Madre Terra had, it can deal with a much wider variety of threats and slowly pull their way through. It only possesses a handful of pokemon that can genuinely hurt this team. Of course, when these do appear, they can wreak heavy damage; however, these still can be countered by committee where a sole pokemon fails. I’ve managed to achieve quite a high rating of 2400 (by my standards, since I regard myself more of a team builder and a theorist rather than a practical battler). However, this rambling’s gone long enough.
Enter - Extrapolation
Hippowdon (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
Hippowdon, though often underestimated in favor of the more popular Sandstorm inducer Tyranitar, has a superior typing and stats to be one of the best physical walls in the whole of pokemon. Though its Ground typing doesn't offer it a whole lot of resistances, it also ensures that most commonly seen physical attacks will be a neutral hit at worst. With its excellent 108 / 118 physically defensive stats, it has all the tools it needs to wall a variety of popular physical attackers. Both Lucario and Mawile are 2HKO'ed, while a +2 Genesect still can't 2HKO Hippowdon unless it gets several flinches with Iron Head. Hippowdon also possesses excellent recovery in the form if Slack Off, giving it a way to stall out physically-based opponents immune to Earthquake, such as Dragonite and Salamence. With full investment in defense and HP and a boosting nature, Hippowdon is the team's go-to answer for physical attackers. However, even with superior defensive stats and resistance to Stealth Rock, it still needs to be maintained at a good amount of health to consistently wall boosted sweepers such as Swords Dance Lucario. With Hippowdon, recovery is usually more important than momentum. Even if you know an opponent's going to switch, it's often best to stay in and recover rather than going for a Toxic. Hippowdon' greatest enemy (and something you should always keep away if value its life) is a special attacker. Powerhouses such as Latios, Keldeo and even Rotom-W can deal heavy damage or KO it straight away with their respective STAB moves, while Hippowdon struggles to do any meaningful damage back. Pokemon using Substitute and is resistant or immune to Hippowdon can always beat it 1v1; SubToxic Gliscor and Dragonite are both good examples of this.
Hippowdon also serves as my sole Stealth Rocker. Though the maximum damage it can deal is considerably smaller than with all layers of Spikes up, Stealth Rock excels in the sense that it hits all pokemon as Rock has no immunities. It's usually my best option against Swords Dance Talonflame, as Tyranitar can easily be worn down if I don't get a Wish to it in time. It also forces momentum-based strategies to play a little more conservatively, as opposing pokemon will quickly be worn down upon switch-in. I prioritize the ability to set it up multiple times a match, especially if Latias is forced to Defog against opposing stall teams. Since this team can take on stall relatively well, I don't really mind Stealth Rocks from being removed from the field unless it's absolutely necessary to shut down a Talonflame or something similar. However, I need to have it on a pivot that has many opportunities to switch in on common threats; thus the choice of Hippowdon over a slot on Tyranitar. Hippowdon is also my main Sandstorm inducer. Though this team doesn't overtly rely on Sandstorm with the absence of late-game sweepers such as Excadrill or Stoutland or powerful wallbreakers such as Garchomp, it really appreciates the residual damage it provides. It goes a long way to nullifying Leftovers on common tanks such as Rotom-W, and leaves them susceptible to other sources of chip damage if it does not have reliable recovery. This team tends to operate around the defensive core of Jellicent, Ferrothorn and Hippowdon, meaning Sandstorm does not significantly hurt the non-immune members. Latias and Togekiss usually only switches in when the team needs extensive support or a specific threat needs to be dealt with; as such, Sandstorm overall helps the team rather than hurt it. This team, though of a sand-stall team archetype, is not based around the concept. It was mostly pure chance that most of the pokemon that serves the team well induces or gets aided by sandstorm.
Ferrothorn (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Knock Off
- Gyro Ball
If Hippowdon's reliable recovery makes it an excellent physical wall, Ferrothorn serves as the "catch-all" counter to many common pokemon. Top threats such as Rotom-W and Greninja without Hidden Power [Fire] are all hard countered by Ferrothorn's unique typing and excellent mixed defensive stats. As with previous generations, it's Grass/Steel typing allows it to take a wide variety of attacks. Ferrothorn is the primary staller on this team. As much as this team aims to spread responsibility among its members, Ferrothorn is by far the most reliable user. Leech Seed allows it to recover 1/8th of its health per turn. Though Ferrothorn lacks powerful attacks that could stop set-up sweepers in their tracks, the residual damage provided by Leech Seed combined with potential sandstorm damage puts any opponent on a harsh timer. On the other hand, Ferrothorn capitalizes on the switches that Leech Seed causes using Knock Off. Even from such a defensive wall, a Knock Off does a surprising amount to offensive pokemon, while simultaneously killing their offensive potential by removing any Life Orbs or Choice items they may have. Similar in function to a shuffler, Ferrothorn gives this team an edge against opposing stall teams and offensive archetypes alike. It's very useful to strip opposing walls that lack recovery (such as Heatran and opposing Ferrothorn) of their precious leftovers, thus giving me opportunities to slowly but surely chip away at their health. On the topic of items, this team often suffers the injustice of being Knocked Off in turn. Ferrothorn usually is the best pokemon to send in in such a situation. Ferrothorn was originally designed to work without Leftovers, meaning the loss of its item doesn't hurt its defensive prowess as much. The fact that its ability hurts opposing users is just a plus.
Most stall teams are very weak to momentum-based strategies when facing fast scouts with super effective moves. However, Ferrothorn remedies this flaw somewhat. It's grass typing and good special bulk allows it to switch in on Rotom-W, as well as traditional electric-type scouts with BoltBeam coverage. On the other hand, Iron Barbs in conjunction with Rocky Helmet allows Ferrothorn to quickly wear down U-Turners. This allows Ferrothorn to quickly wear down VoltTurning chains with additional damage from lack of Leftovers via Knock Off and residual damage on the switch-in with Leech Seed. The reason Ferrothorn works so well is that with good defensive stats, even a +2 Pinsir won’t be able to 1HKO it, while several hits on Ferrothorn still holding Rocky Helmet will deal massive amounts of damage. As a benchmark, a physical hit deals ~30% to the user, meaning 3 hits after Stealth Rock will kill any attacker. Ferrothorn also serves as my hazards machine. With the effectiveness of the unblockable Defog buffed, I use Spikes in a different way than traditional stall teams do. I accept the fact that they will be removed multiple times a match. Oftentimes, I only use it to weaken a specific threat so that Tyranitar can successfully trap it, and only rarely are all three layers down on the field. Ferrothorn usually has something better to do, and Spiking, outside of special circumstances, should only be done when you have hardcountered the opposition.
Jellicent (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
Jellicent serves as an excellent mixed wall. Blessed with an excellent typing and defensive stats as well as stylish facial hair, Jellicent is the team’s “catch-all” pokemon. It can comfortably live most unboosted hits with HP to spare and cripple the attacker with a burn, or deal heavy damage to it with Scald coming off a decent 85 Special Attack. Jellicent’s typing and moveset allows this team to perform well against stall teams. Though spinblocking has become much less of an necessity for semi-stall and stall alike because of the buff to Defog, it still is excellent to have against stall-based team archetypes that cannot afford to use Defog because it renders their hazards useless as well. You have to decide if Spiking is a good idea in the current situation; and because stall teams switch extremely often, extra entry hazard damage is a godsend. Jellicent is the guardian of those, if you will, and keeps pressure on the opposing team. Jellicent also shuts down defensive teams with Taunt. It outspeeds pokemon such as Ferrothorn and prevents them from Leech Seeding or laying down Spikes of their own; and since this team detests residual damage, especially Leech Seed (Ferrothorn can wall it, but it can’t do anything back other than Knock Off), proper use of Taunt is essential for optimal performance against stall.
Jellicent is also effective against offensive teams as well. Its ghost typing allows it to wall Special Lucario with Fighting/Steel coverage (while Fighting/Dark is walled by Togekiss), as well as many other physically based Fighting-types and cripple them with Will-O-Wisp. With the buff to its accuracy it recieved, it hits much more consistently, thus reducing the chance of losing because Will-O-Wisp missed and Jellicent got 2HKO’ed. Will-O-Wisp combined with Taunt also allows me to shut down tanks such as Quagsire, Clefable, and Hippowdon. Water Absorb allows Jellicent to act as a check to many water-types, including Azumarill and Keldeo. Its typing combined with immunity to water attacks makes it an excellent switch-in to a variety of pokemon that would otherwise run through this team. Jirachi fails to do any meaningful damage, Heatran is forced out, and Choice-locked Azumarill often ends up healing it. Jellicent can even take on Tyranitar and Ferrothorn; if one burns them on the switch-in, Taunt and Recover can often stall them out quite easily; in the case of Choice Band Tyranitar, which will still deal good damage on Jellicent, Ferrothorn can inflict massive damage on it.
Tyranitar (F) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
Tyranitar gives this otherwise extremely passive stall team an offensive edge. It’s the only member that does not possess any sort of recovery option whatsoever. This means Tyranitar should be used sparingly, especially when the operation involves tanking hits. Tyranitar’s HP investment, along with its natural bulk allow it to take a variety of attacks, but without Wish support it will die relatively quickly, so keep that in mind. Tyranitar’s role is somewhat out of place in a stall team, but works incredibly well. My mentality is this; if a threat is allowed to switch in and out at will, striking in opportune moments, even the best stall team’s defenses will crumble. Tyranitar fixes this by Pursuit-trapping game-breaking threats as they switches out. Dark’s new buff means that a Choice Band-boosted Pursuit can readily kill or cripple any offensive pokemon not named Greninja. Really, opposing players never suspect this set; at most, they believe Tyranitar to be a dedicated special wall. The first Pursuit should be used sparingly, because you have the element of surprise on your side. If you manage to trap a Talonflame (which shouldn’t be hard unless you switch in on a U-Turn), you’re golden. Though U-Turn can be annoying at times, keeping Stealth Rock up will make them prioritise Roost over momentum when they have a free turn. Tyranitar’s Pursuit will handily make work of Talonflame if it switches out; even if it does a suicide run, it can still deal over 56% even on defensive variants. Though some offensive pokemon trouble this team more than others, an intelligent player wielding Tyranitar can easily remove them from the game. This is really one of the core reasons for the team’s success.
However, Tyranitar isn’t just limited to Pursuit trapping. It can use its garangutan power to blow holes in opposing stall (or semi-stall) teams so that my other teammates can clean up. Though Mandibuzz is incredibly annoying, Tyranitar can, with proper prediction, deal heavy damage to it with Stone Edge and Superpower. If it has Foul Play, Stone Edge can handily 2HKO it, while Knock Off variants can be dealt with bringing it down to about a quarter of its health with Stone Edge, then Superpower on the Roost. As these examples show, Tyranitar is truly what holds this team together, and helps it deal with various threats the team wouldn’t be able to deal with overall. I took a leaf out of Hyper Offence’s book in a sense; even though they can’t take hits to save their lives, they can overpower would-be counters with offensive momentum and pressure. It’s a mentality that suggests taking care of threatening elements before they can harm you; and though it may seem very out of place in a stall team, it makes this team incredibly versatile.
On a different note, Tyranitar serves as a back-up sandstorm inducer to Hippowdon. Because they share mostly different checks and counters, Tyranitar could potentially come in on a double switch to set up sandstorm again. Dual sandstorm inducers really prevents this team from being demolished by opposing Sun and Rain teams, especially with the ubiquity. Tyranitar can take care of Charizard-Y (and deal heavy damage to it as it switches out), while Hippowdon completely walls its X counterpart. Politoed can be a lot harder to switch into, but Ferrothorn can usually force it out, where Tyranitar or Hippowdon comes in. However, one must keep in mind that Tyranitar is a lot frailer than Hippowdon; and should be treated like the “win condition” for balance teams; though it can be used mid-game to deal damage and weaken its counters, it should save its strength for when it is really needed. Though Tyranitar isn’t sweeping anytime soon, the lack of recovery indicated it should be treated similarly. Wish support somewhat alleviates this problem, but it shouldn’t be relied on too much, since if Togekiss can’t deliver a Wish to Tyranitar in time, it could potentially cost this team the match. There isn’t really much else to explain about Tyranitar; since this team values versatility and flexibility, every situation is different. One must be able to see what is really needed, and act on it. This resulted in a team that new players can use well, but becomes a truly dangerous weapon in a competent player’s hands.
Togekiss (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Wish
- Heal Bell
- Thunder Wave
- Air Slash
Togekiss is the defensive anchor of this team because it takes on a good amount of the team’s special sponging. Its primary function is Heal Bell support. Since many pokemon on this team are crippled by a well-timed burn or Toxic, Heal Bell heals those status ailments so the main pokemon on the team continue to wall troublesome threats. It also stops recovery-less pokemon such as Tyranitar and Ferrothorn from being worn down by residual damage. This is especially important for Ferrothorn, since as one of the team’s major defensive foundations it takes attacks frequently, which can add up to a fatal amount before Togekiss gets a chance to pass off a Wish. With Ferrothorn taking on Rotom-W extremely often, getting burnt is to be expected. Heal Bell prevents opposing stall teams from outstalling this semi-stall team; though it is more effective against setup sweepers and offensive teams, the lack of defensive ability compared to fully conformed passive stall teams allow them to get outstalled via residual damage too easily.
Togekiss also provides Wish support for recovery-less pokemon on the team. Ferrothorn really appreciates recovery outside of Leech Seed, and though it can usually heal back with several turns of Leech Seed when coming in on a resisted hit, when it is required to live through a super effective or powerful STAB hit, it can often become weakened and unable to deal with end-game sweepers. Wish provides insurance against that. It also becomes a buffer for pokemon that would otherwise be 2HKO’ed by a powerful wallbreaker to switch in. As the opposition switches, a well-timed Wish can lead to a defensive wall taking half damage, then healing all health back at the end of the turn, essentially giving the player a full-health wall to deal with.
However, the defensive moveset and EV spread doesn’t imply that Togekiss is unable to defend itself. On the contrary; apart from Latias, Tyranitar and perhaps Ferrothorn, it is one of the offensive mainstays that stop stall in its tracks. Air Slash when combined with Togekiss’s ability, Serene Grace, gives it a 60% flinch rate that allow Togekiss to take on slower threats that would otherwise live multiple hits from it as the opponent watches helplessly. Similar to Jirachi, Togekiss has a more tank-like offensive presence. However, boasting superior firepower and offensive typing, Togekiss has the ability to flinch its way through otherwise troublesome walls, such as Ferrothorn and Hippowdon. Thunder Wave works hand-in-hand with Air Slash’s 60% (or 100%, by my experience) flinch rate by reducing even Scarf pokemon’s speed to a numeral lower than Togekiss’s, allowing it to abuse Air Slash more easily. It also provides a way to render offensive sweepers useless and much more easier to take on. Though luck shouldn’t be relied on, it can become a powerful ally; and by using Togekiss correctly, it can hand you the game even in an otherwise disadvantageous situation,
Latias (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 164 Def / 96 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Defog
- Reflect Type
Latias is the most situational of all the team, but is arguably extremely important. Its primary function is to remove opposing hazards. Stealth Rock and Spikes can do a number to the team, especially on recovery-less pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Tyranitar, while Toxic Spikes makes half the team grind to a halt. It seems quite out-of-place on a stall team. However, one will have to remember this team is semi-stall, and thus is very flexible. Oftentimes, I’ll only set up one layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock. Setters are usually bulky enough to use them multiple times a match; while removing Stealth Rock from offensive teams are essential. For example, Hippowdon can usually take a +2 Close Combat from Jolly Lucario and retaliate with Earthquake. However, after Stealth Rocks it is always cleanly KO’ed, leaving the team open to further attack. Defog should be used sparingly; early-game, keeping hazards off is more important than keeping your own hazards on; however, nearing a sweep, one should aim to have as many hazards on the field as possible to give the offensively lacking members a good chance at taking them out as they set up. Latias’s good typing allows it to function as a bulky tank. Though Fairy-types can still wall Latias single-handedly, Dragon still has remarkably little amounts of resists. Dragon Pulse is surprisingly powerful. Coming off a good 110 Special Attack stat, it can usually 2HKO or 3HKO most pokemon that doesn’t resist it. Pokemon such as Talonflame are easily insta-killed after Stealth Rock, while even offensive Tyranitar takes a number from it.
Latias’ true ability, however, lies in its versatility. Reflect Type turns its typing into that of its opponents, which is incredibly useful. First of all, it’s great for dealing with defensive grass-types. Sleep Powder, Spore, and Leech Seed fails to work on a grass-type Latias, while Latias can slowly but surely wear them down with Dragon Pulse. It can take advantage of Rotom-W’s excellent defensive typing (combined with Latias’s naturally gained Levitate) to wall pokemon such as Scizor that attempt to switch in; or even better, reflect into Scizor to easily tank a Bullet Punch and deal damage to the switch-in. Tyranitars attempting to Pursuit can easily be nullified by transforming into a Dark-type; if it’s a Choice Band variant, Latias can actually win one-on-one. I don’t claim to have discovered all the possibilities that Reflect Type offers. With it, Latias becomes a team leader; something that can scout threats and deal with them itself.
Final Words
This team, compared to my last RMT, is somewhat incomplete. Rather than a team showcase, I know myself that I may be flawed in stall. As a balanced player, this is somewhat understandable. This time, I’m asking for your help to bring this team to the best it can possibly be. I was pleasantly surprised by the feedback I got on Madre Terra: let us do it again. Thank you for reading this RMT, and feel free to add your opinions to the mix.
