ORAS LC First LC Team

[Voluptuous Goomy]

Hello, everyone! I'd like to make my forum debut with a team that I've been playing around with for a few months now, and have recently been tweaking. While I like the team as it is, there are some flaws that I have to iron out, and I would appreciate help in doing so. So, without further adieu, the team:

Iron Baby (Ferroseed) @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 5
EVs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 188 Def / 148 SpD / 52 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Bullet Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Leech Seed
First of all, we have a nice and standard Ferroseed. I can almost always set up Stealth Rocks, and with big holepunchers to take out opposing spinners, they can usually stay on the field. Bullet Seed is my attack to cover a surprisingly big portion of the game, and breaks Sturdys easily (namely Tirtouga). Thunder Wave provides extra utility, crippling most speedy mons. Finally, I run Leech Seed for recovery, since this also functions as a nice wall instead of a suicide lead.

The Perfume Dept (Spritzee) @ Eviolite
Ability: Aroma Veil
Level: 5
EVs: 212 HP / 116 Def / 12 SpA / 156 SpD / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Wish
- Protect
- Aromatherapy
Spritzee here serves as a great cleric and counter to the fighting-types in the tier. It's nothing more than a standard set, but alongside Ferroseed, it makes for part of a solid defensive core. However, I would be willing to switch out this mon if it means more team versatility.

Sanic (Drilbur) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 60 Def / 212 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Gotta go fast, right? I stand by the mantra that every team needs a scarfer, and Drilbur is probably the best option, as it can't be paralyzed by Thunder Wave and the EdgeQuake coverage serves it amazingly. Poison Jab serves as a great coverage option for Grass-types like Pumpkaboo and Cottonee, and Rapid Spin allows me to get the occasional hazard support.

Not Centralizing (Mienfoo) @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 76 SpD / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Fake Out
- U-turn
It's not a LC team without this guy. Drain Punch and Knock Off provide for great neutral coverage against non-fairies, and when one comes in, he can usually just U-Turn out. I run Fake-Out over Taunt or Acrobatics because I have no other priority options outside of the frail Fletchling. Obviously, this thing puts in work as a utility mon and a hard hitter.

Spooks (Frillish) @ Eviolite
Ability: Water Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 76 SpA / 236 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Shadow Ball
- Recover
- Toxic
I think people overlook Frillish as a water-type in this tier. While it usually runs a physically defensive set, I like running specialized bulk on Pokemon whenever I can. Scald and Toxic provide the nice double status which, along with Ferrothorn, allow me to spread status over whole teams. Apparently, some people run Cursed Body, but Water Absorb is just...way better. Shadow Ball is a more powerful STAB and lets me take big bites out of things like Pumpkaboo, Gastly, and other Frillish.

SmogonBabby (Fletchling)
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 196 Atk / 92 Def / 44 SpA / 20 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Acrobatics
- U-turn
- Heat Wave
- Roost
Finally, we have this thing. Acrobatics provides me another form of priority, and a powerful one at that. Heat Wave is a more economical form of Overheat, allowing multiple uses in a row to take out bulkier fire-weak mons or to get off another decent special hit. U-turn is obvious momentum, and Roost is there for the rare chance I'll be able to heal up.

Overall, I know that a few things mess me up, like a lack of phasing or reliable hazard removal, but I'm still a bit new at the tier and am not sure how to fit these advantages onto my team.

 

[Fiend]

Hello there, this is actually quite a nice team, with a solid defensive back bone in FerroSprit, a nice switchin to what beats the core, the unexpected but quite good Scarf Drilbur, of course Mienfoo, and then Fletchling to round it out.

However, some of your EV choices are odd, and you miss your Eviolite numbers quite often. A spread of 212 HP / 196 Def / 12 SpA / 76 SpD / 12 Spe with a Bold nature over your current Spritzee spread creates a better Fighting type check and gives it much more physical bulk with minimal impact on its special bulk. Additionally, Careful nature over Impish does the same for Ferroseed, making it better as a wall in general and helps it better counter Omanyte. Also, while Leech Seed isn't a bad choice per say, Knock Off over Leech Seed helps Drilbur and Fletchling breakthrough teams late game and provides a better utility option at the sacrifice of some minor healing.

Spritzee

The Perfume Dept (Spritzee) @ Eviolite
Ability: Aroma Veil
Level: 5
EVs: 212 HP / 196 Def / 12 SpA / 76 SpD / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Wish
- Protect
- Aromatherapy

Ferroseed

Iron Baby (Ferroseed) @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 5
EVs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 188 Def / 148 SpD / 52 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Bullet Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Knock Off / Leech Seed

Next, Fletchling has two fairly odd choices with it: the lack of Swords Dance, and the use of Heat Wave. Heat Wave is inferior to Overheat due to simply not hitting hard enough, and Overheat's drops aren't very noticeable due to how ideally, you only need to use the move once. Even if you need to use it multiple times, you are typically better off switching out in between use of its Special Attacks with or without the drop. For this reason, Overheat over Heat Wave. Swords Dance allows for Fletchling to wallbreak for the remainder of your team, or sweep itself. Roost isn't too needed, so SD would go in its slot, but you can leave Roost if you wish. If you run SD, I would suggest changing Fletchling to fast Fletch too. The EVs on fast Fletch below are a bit weird, but 22 HP takes the same from SR as 21 HP Fletch, and the EVs have no use elsewhere.

Fletchling

Non-SD Set:
SmogonBabby (Fletchling)
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 196 Atk / 92 Def / 44 SpA / 20 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Acrobatics
- U-turn
- Overheat
- Roost

SD Set:
SmogonBabby (Fletchling)
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 20 Def / 36 SpA / 180 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Acrobatics
- U-turn
- Overheat
- Swords Dance

Any while, yes, people do overlook Frillish as a water type, it isn't for poor reasons. You do however make good use of it as it counters Skrelp (a problem otherwise), spin blocks for Ferroseed, helps wear down walls, and makes late game easier on you. It does lure in Gastly, which beats your defensive core, but your team has the ability to revenge kill Gastly, which is good. Anyway, the EVs spread: 236 HP / 116 Def / 76 SpA / 76 SpD with a Bold Nature helps Frillish with its bulk. 26/14/16 is actually more bulk and lovegity than you had before, as Eviolite number are hit, you still live everything you did at 18 Special Defense, and you now gain another 2 HP from Recover.

Frillish

Spooks (Frillish) @ Eviolite
Ability: Cursed Body
Level: 5
EVs: 236 HP / 116 Def / 76 SpA / 76 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Shadow Ball
- Recover
- Toxic

This is a really nice looking team honestly, and it uses some underrated pokemon and sets, which is especially cool. Without major changes to the team structure, you can't work out certain kinks, but those kinks are able to be played around. Good luck with the changes,

Cheers!

 

[Goddess Briyella]

Hi there, Voluptuous Goomy!

This is an excellent team you have here so far, especially for your first one in Little Cup. While Fiend Hound beat me to the rate and made several good changes to the team, I have an alternative recommendation that fixes a rather glaring weakness the team has to opposing Swords Dance Fletchling.

->

Chinchou @ Eviolite
Level: 5
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 76 HP / 212 Def / 152 SpA / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ground

I recommend swapping out Frillish for Chinchou. This not only adds more momentum to your team but also gives you a reliable check to Fletchling so it doesn't set up on Spritzee and totally demolish the team, as it currently has no resistances to Flying and boosted itemless Acrobatics is a very serious threat if left unchecked. Eviolite is the preferred item here because Spritzee is able to pass Wish recovery to Chinchou to keep it healthy throughout the match.

The rest of the team looks pretty good and the really important weaknesses are all covered, except for the one I am fixing in this rate. You mentioned that Drilbur's Poison Jab is super effective against Pumpkaboo, but do remember that Ghost resists Poison, so it actually only takes neutral damage. It's not something your own Fletchling can't handle, though, especially after its Eviolite has been removed.

Additionally, if you're looking for XY sprites to use for projects such as this, here's a link to the page where they can all be found: http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/xyani/

This concludes my rate! I wish you luck and success with your team! :)

 

[Oma]

Hiya Voluptuous Goomy, neat team with some cool underused threats. I'd like to share some of my own tips for this team.

-First, use the spreads that Fiend Hound gave you, and swap out Frillish for Chou as Briyella said. Those spreads hit eviolite numbers in defenses, greatly improving bulk. Chinchou provides nice momentum for your team to let Fletch and Drilbur in safely, while checking opposing Fletchling. On your own Fletchling, i'd recommend using the Swords Dance set, as you have a Pawniard counter in Mienfoo, and so you don't need to roast it on the switch. Swords Dance gives you a great way to boost attack and form a secondary wincon.

-I know you specified why you didn't use it, but try Taunt over Fake Out on Mienfoo. Fake Out is personally my least favorite fourth move for Foo, as using it loses you offensive momentum, letting a check come in on Foo basically for free. Taunt on the other hand stops hazards from getting on your team's nerves (scarf spin isn't spinning a lot), while also making Foongus unable to Spore your mons. Since Foongus checks almost every member of your team (especially hp fire variants) and it can sleep Fletchling, taunt is needed to help beat it.

That's all I really had for this team, as it's pretty solid overall. Good luck with it and your future battles in LC!