Hey, all. I'm new to competitive battling and this is my first real attempt at a team, so I'd like suggestions on how to round it out a bit. Without further ado...
Klefki, Sylveon, Skarmory, Garchomp, Greninja, Talonflame
Klefki!
HP 252 | Def 252| SpD 4
Bold @ Light Clay
Prankster
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Spikes
- Swagger
Initially my starter, for all intents and purposes I've started to use him more mid game after any threatening fire or gound types are dealt with. Swagger is a high risk high reward move, and with Klefki's resistances there's less risk. One of the safest paths, though, is to set up dual screens and toss Skarmory out to set Spikes. I've tried Thunder Wave, Toxic, etc., but this is the Klefki I like best.
Sylveon!
HP 252 | SpA 4 |SpD 252
Bold @ Leftovers
Cute Charm
- Toxic
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
Sylveon is my main lead, especially when I see a lot of special attackers in the preview. The main game plan is to Toxic, then Wish, then Protect, and Moonblast if I get an opening. Using this system, she can tank the likes of Cloyster, Chandelure, and Goodra. If the opener is a Steel type, like the common Ferrothorn, I'll set up a wish and pass to someone to sweep (Talonflame or Garchomp). Cute charm, while not relevant in most cases, has gotten me out of a few tight situations.
Skarmory!
HP 226 | Def 252 | SpD 32
Impish @ Leftovers
Sturdy
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Roost
Not much to say about Skarmory. I took it from the first set on its Smogon page and it WORKS. Spikes and Whirlwind combined with Skarmory's defenses can take out teams on its own. After any Fire types are out of the way, teams with too many physical attackers just whittle away beneath him, and with Roost, it's not going to end. I get a lot of rage quits about six Whirlwinds in.
Garchomp!
HP 4 | Atk 252 | Spe 252
Adamant @ Garchompite
Rough Skin | Sand Force
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Fire Fang
Garchomp has such amazing stats that holding out on evolving can be used tactically. Since his speed drops when he goes mega, it's possibly better to set up Swords Dance first, and then attack with +2, Mega's Attack stat, and normal Garchomp's speed. That is, if you even need to set up. Revenge killing or sweeping are a breeze either way. Finding a time to SD increases his longevity, though, as he'll ohko more often and not be chipped away. I've heard more than one "oh no" from people expecting an attack and switching in a Fairy, or using Aegislash's King's Shield, only to see Chomp do a little dance. Because of the Fairy type, I've opted out of Outrage. Giving an opposing Fairy a free turn is the worst.
Talonflame!
HP 4 | Atk 252 | Spe 252
Adamant @ Life Orb
Gale Wings
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Swords Dance
- Roost
Talonflame finds his niche in my team as a Steel killer. Scizor cringes at this guy. Priority Roost vs Bullet Punch has saved me more than a few times, and if Scizor hasn't set up yet, Talonflame can survive a Flare Blitz recoil by a few HP. There have, however, been a few instances where Talonflame has just switched in to die. Stealth Rock is harsh on him, doing 50% damage. On the rare occasion he gets a Swords Dance in, he can suicide kill just about anything that doesn't resist him.
Greninja!
Atk 4 | SpA 252 | Spe 252
Hasty @ Choice Scarf
Protean
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump/Surf
- Ice Beam
- U-Turn
The main reason Greninja is here is because I wanted an Ice type attack somewhere in my arsenal, and having a team without a special sweeper doesn't seem right to me. Choice Scarf is to absolutely outrun Gengar. One lightning bolt from Mega Gengar was enough for me to make the switch. U-Turn allows Greninja to revenge kill Psychics and Darks, as well as very low HP general pokemon, without being choice locked and having to switch out the next turn. Not having him hold Life Orb gives him an extra turn or so if you're lucky. He tends to be dead weight, though, if you don't see Gengar, Gliscor, 4x weak to Ice Dragons, or Alakazam. Even then, I think I remember a Salamence tanking one of his Ice Beams. Also, you'd think Grass Knot wouldn't do much damage to him, but it tears him apart.
-----
All in all, I've had more wins than losses with this team. The OU I've seen relies a LOT on boosts from Swords Dance, Calm Mind, and the ilk. With Skarmory phasing and Sylveon's Toxic/stall, boosts are more or less a waste of time, and unboosted physical and special attacks barely dent them, respectively. Once their work is done, Klefki can set his walls to insure a safe switch to one of my three sweepers. Because of Stealth Rock, I feel like I need a spinner on my set. I'm looking at Mega Blastoise and Starmie. Both learn Ice Beam, and are Water types, which means they can replace my Greninja, and both can offer coverage moves for Gengar (aka Sylveon killer). If I go the Mega Blastoise route, Garchomp is getting a makeover, obviously.
I also tried out a defensive Aggron as a phaser for a little while, to set up Stealth Rock and then Roar. It felt gimmicky, and it didn't cover my team's defenses, so he got cut.
While I plan on making changes, this is my team for now. I'd love more feedback on what to change, as well as anything in particular you like. (Hey, compliments never hurt).Thanks. ^^
Klefki, Sylveon, Skarmory, Garchomp, Greninja, Talonflame
Klefki!
HP 252 | Def 252| SpD 4
Bold @ Light Clay
Prankster
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Spikes
- Swagger
Initially my starter, for all intents and purposes I've started to use him more mid game after any threatening fire or gound types are dealt with. Swagger is a high risk high reward move, and with Klefki's resistances there's less risk. One of the safest paths, though, is to set up dual screens and toss Skarmory out to set Spikes. I've tried Thunder Wave, Toxic, etc., but this is the Klefki I like best.
Sylveon!
HP 252 | SpA 4 |SpD 252
Bold @ Leftovers
Cute Charm
- Toxic
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
Sylveon is my main lead, especially when I see a lot of special attackers in the preview. The main game plan is to Toxic, then Wish, then Protect, and Moonblast if I get an opening. Using this system, she can tank the likes of Cloyster, Chandelure, and Goodra. If the opener is a Steel type, like the common Ferrothorn, I'll set up a wish and pass to someone to sweep (Talonflame or Garchomp). Cute charm, while not relevant in most cases, has gotten me out of a few tight situations.
Skarmory!
HP 226 | Def 252 | SpD 32
Impish @ Leftovers
Sturdy
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Roost
Not much to say about Skarmory. I took it from the first set on its Smogon page and it WORKS. Spikes and Whirlwind combined with Skarmory's defenses can take out teams on its own. After any Fire types are out of the way, teams with too many physical attackers just whittle away beneath him, and with Roost, it's not going to end. I get a lot of rage quits about six Whirlwinds in.
Garchomp!
HP 4 | Atk 252 | Spe 252
Adamant @ Garchompite
Rough Skin | Sand Force
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Fire Fang
Garchomp has such amazing stats that holding out on evolving can be used tactically. Since his speed drops when he goes mega, it's possibly better to set up Swords Dance first, and then attack with +2, Mega's Attack stat, and normal Garchomp's speed. That is, if you even need to set up. Revenge killing or sweeping are a breeze either way. Finding a time to SD increases his longevity, though, as he'll ohko more often and not be chipped away. I've heard more than one "oh no" from people expecting an attack and switching in a Fairy, or using Aegislash's King's Shield, only to see Chomp do a little dance. Because of the Fairy type, I've opted out of Outrage. Giving an opposing Fairy a free turn is the worst.
Talonflame!
HP 4 | Atk 252 | Spe 252
Adamant @ Life Orb
Gale Wings
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Swords Dance
- Roost
Talonflame finds his niche in my team as a Steel killer. Scizor cringes at this guy. Priority Roost vs Bullet Punch has saved me more than a few times, and if Scizor hasn't set up yet, Talonflame can survive a Flare Blitz recoil by a few HP. There have, however, been a few instances where Talonflame has just switched in to die. Stealth Rock is harsh on him, doing 50% damage. On the rare occasion he gets a Swords Dance in, he can suicide kill just about anything that doesn't resist him.
Greninja!
Atk 4 | SpA 252 | Spe 252
Hasty @ Choice Scarf
Protean
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump/Surf
- Ice Beam
- U-Turn
The main reason Greninja is here is because I wanted an Ice type attack somewhere in my arsenal, and having a team without a special sweeper doesn't seem right to me. Choice Scarf is to absolutely outrun Gengar. One lightning bolt from Mega Gengar was enough for me to make the switch. U-Turn allows Greninja to revenge kill Psychics and Darks, as well as very low HP general pokemon, without being choice locked and having to switch out the next turn. Not having him hold Life Orb gives him an extra turn or so if you're lucky. He tends to be dead weight, though, if you don't see Gengar, Gliscor, 4x weak to Ice Dragons, or Alakazam. Even then, I think I remember a Salamence tanking one of his Ice Beams. Also, you'd think Grass Knot wouldn't do much damage to him, but it tears him apart.
-----
All in all, I've had more wins than losses with this team. The OU I've seen relies a LOT on boosts from Swords Dance, Calm Mind, and the ilk. With Skarmory phasing and Sylveon's Toxic/stall, boosts are more or less a waste of time, and unboosted physical and special attacks barely dent them, respectively. Once their work is done, Klefki can set his walls to insure a safe switch to one of my three sweepers. Because of Stealth Rock, I feel like I need a spinner on my set. I'm looking at Mega Blastoise and Starmie. Both learn Ice Beam, and are Water types, which means they can replace my Greninja, and both can offer coverage moves for Gengar (aka Sylveon killer). If I go the Mega Blastoise route, Garchomp is getting a makeover, obviously.
I also tried out a defensive Aggron as a phaser for a little while, to set up Stealth Rock and then Roar. It felt gimmicky, and it didn't cover my team's defenses, so he got cut.
While I plan on making changes, this is my team for now. I'd love more feedback on what to change, as well as anything in particular you like. (Hey, compliments never hurt).Thanks. ^^
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