So I've been into Showdown for a while, but I've never actually made a concrete team; I've just played around with teams from Pokemon that I thought were cool. I figured it would be a good idea if I made a serious team with actual synergy besides "big Mon big strong", and decided this would be the right place to get feedback. With that being said, here goes:
Rillaboom@Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 SpD
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Grassy Surge
-Knock Off
-Drain Punch
-U-Turn
-Grassy Glide
Rillaboom, other than setting up the Grassy Terrain crucial to Hawlucha's sweeping potential, is a versatile physical Mon in and of itself. Grassy Glide is a phenomenal priority move that grants STAB for dealing with neutral targets while also posing a huge threat to Rain teams and Regieleki. As if 2HKOing Pelipper and OHKOing Barraskewda wasn't enough, Rillaboom gets the infamous Knock Off. Besides removing items from Mons that depend on them, such as Toxapex and Heavy-Duty Boots-users, Knock Off provides super-effective damage against Dragapult, Slowbro, Gengar and the Latis, among others. Drain Punch and U-Turn serve the same purpose for Rillaboom that they do for other Mons that use them, being coverage and pivoting respectively.
Hawlucha@Grassy Seed
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 SpD
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Unburden
-Swords Dance
-Iron Head
-Close Combat
-Acrobatics
There are many team cores that have defined this generation of competitive Pokemon, and Rillaboom + Hawlucha is the one that piqued my interest the most. Hawlucha is one of the best wallbreakers in the current metagame, especially after a few setup turns. Grassy Seed doubling the holder's Defense allows Hawlucha an extra layer of protection against physical-Mon counters such as Corviknight and (Foul Play) Mandibuzz. Working in tandem with this is Unburden; Other than making Hawlucha fast enough to sweep entire teams, no longer having an item boosts Acrobatics to deadly proportions, especially after a Swords Dance. Being part Flying gives Hawlucha immunity to Ground-type moves that aren't weakened by Rillaboom's Grassy Terrain, mainly Nidoking's Earth Power. Hawlucha's Fighting STAB, the ubiquitous Close Combat, also shreds through Blissey, who otherwise stops momentum generated by Gardevoir. From my experience, Iron Head is a very unconventional choice for Hawlucha. Nonetheless, a sweeper with a partial Fighting-typing needs a good Fairy counter; Upon suggestion from a friend, I chose Iron Head, as it's the best anti-Fairy move Hawlucha has. All in all, Rillaboom and Hawlucha are two mons with excellent synergy, and are an equally excellent offensive core for this balance team.
Incineroar@Choice Scarf
EVs: 252 SpD/252 Spe/4 HP
Nature: Careful
Ability: Intimidate
-Will-o-Wisp
-Taunt
-Parting Shot
-Darkest Lariat
Incineroar and Slowking make up a defensive core that I believe has a lot of untapped potential in the current metagame. Since I know this is already raising eyebrows, allow me to explain. Incineroar is bar none my favorite Pokemon (What can I say? I love professional wrestling). When I saw that Incineroar dropped to RU last January, I became driven to prove its greatness. With that being said, what niche does Incineroar fill exactly? Put simply, Incineroar is an excellent status-spreader and debuffer. On top of an automatic Attack cut thanks to Intimidate, Incineroar has access to Burn via Will-o-Wisp, as well as further offensive drops thanks to Parting Shot. Parting Shot also lets Incineroar pivot out of dicey situations, further adding to what I lovingly refer to as its "trickiness". Darkest Lariat, though sticking out like a sore thumb on this moveset, serves to provide Dark-type coverage that nobody else on this team has. More importantly, Darkest Lariat can cripple Latios and Slowbro as well as OHKO Dragapult, giving Incineroar even more viability. Choice Scarf is relatively unseen on Incineroar; However, maximum Speed investment with Scarf makes Incineroar faster than a lot of the threats of the metagame, mainly Kartana, who Incineroar usually wants to Burn to prevent its own OHKO via Sacred Sword.
Slowking@Heavy-Duty Boots
EVs: 252 HP/252 SpA/4 Def
Nature: Calm
Ability: Regenerator
-Slack Off
-Ice Beam
-Scald
-Psychic
With the rising threat of Terrakion, Incineroar needs a wall to cover its physical weaknesses, since it's been EVd to be Specially defensive. This is exactly where Slowking comes in. Although Slowking has been seen as more of a Special wall in the past, I have created a set that I believe can wall both sides. Regenerator is unequivocally one of the best abilities in the game. All you have to do is switch Slowking out, and it regains 30% of its max HP. On top of this, Heavy-Duty Boots lets Slowking switch in on potential hazards that this team can't get rid of, such as Stealth Rocks from Heatran, Garchomp and Excadrill. Slowking's moveset is purely defensive. Slack Off is the standard recovery move for the set; Ice Beam and Scald both serve as status-spreading damage moves for when Incineroar isn't necessary for the task at hand. For the last move, I'm going to give a rather blunt outlook on things: Psyshock just isn't worth it. The only real reason why you'd want to use it is for walls like Blissey; If you go into the match well-prepared for such walls, you can get around using an odd move like Psyshock, hence why I chose Psychic. Incineroar and Slowking are an overall unorthodox defensive core, but their pivoting capabilities and ease of spreading status make them quite the momentum killers if one is not prepared for their trickery.
Blaziken@Life Orb
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 SpD
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Speed Boost
-Protect
-Bulk Up
-Flare Blitz
-Close Combat
When I set to making this team, one of the Pokemon I most wanted to use is Blaziken. Blaziken has the unique niche of being an offensive wallbreaker that relies on a defensive strategy to get things going. Although Urshifu-R can bypass Protect by way of Unseen Fist, this is the only threat that Blaziken has to worry about in that regard. Quite frankly, Blaziken after a few turns trading Bulk Up and Protect is disgusting, especially with an Adamant nature, max investment, and a Life Orb boost. Flare Blitz, one of the most common moves for Blaziken sets, exists on my set specifically because I forewent Fire coverage on my Incineroar. The odd one out on this moveset is Bulk Up. Most people who use Blaziken choose Swords Dance for their boosting move; consider this: Hawlucha is known for sweeping entire teams with its boosted Close Combat; Blaziken does the exact same thing, but its Attack stat is larger. Why use one turn to boost your Attack by two stages when you can boost your already high Attack AND Defense? If anything, boosting Defense makes Blaziken more of an adept sweeper, because it can patch up its Defense stats to protect against potential priority. Overall, Blaziken is an extremely dangerous Mon this format, who has the offensive capabilities to sweep, with the defensive capabilities to stall until the time is right to retaliate with supremely strong STAB.
Gardevoir@Choice Specs
EVs: 252 SpA/252 Spe/4 HP
-Shadow Ball
-Thunderbolt
-Psychic
-Moonblast
Gardevoir's role on this team is to serve as both a Special wallbreaker, and a Special wall when the situation doesn't call for Slowking. Although Gardevoir's Special Defense pales in comparison to that of Assault Vest Slowking, its different typing allows it to take neutral damage from attacks that prey on Slowking's Water-typing. Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt are on this set purely for coverage; Because I chose to not put Thunder Punch on Blaziken, I've chosen to give Thunderbolt to Gardevoir because of its potent wallbreaking abilities. With Choice Specs and maximum investment, all four of Gardevoir's moves hit like a truck. Because Blaziken, and Hawlucha are both Physical wallbreakers, a Special wallbreaker was all but necessary on this team. Kartana, easily the biggest threat Gardevoir faces in this format, is easily walled by Blaziken and Hawlucha. All in all, Gardevoir is a Special cleaner capable of denting even the toughest walls, while also being capable of taking a few hits itself if you play things correctly.
I would greatly appreciate any feedback you guys have about my team composition, as well as any team-member changes you guys might have suggestions for. Thanks, and happy battling!
Rillaboom@Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 SpD
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Grassy Surge
-Knock Off
-Drain Punch
-U-Turn
-Grassy Glide
Rillaboom, other than setting up the Grassy Terrain crucial to Hawlucha's sweeping potential, is a versatile physical Mon in and of itself. Grassy Glide is a phenomenal priority move that grants STAB for dealing with neutral targets while also posing a huge threat to Rain teams and Regieleki. As if 2HKOing Pelipper and OHKOing Barraskewda wasn't enough, Rillaboom gets the infamous Knock Off. Besides removing items from Mons that depend on them, such as Toxapex and Heavy-Duty Boots-users, Knock Off provides super-effective damage against Dragapult, Slowbro, Gengar and the Latis, among others. Drain Punch and U-Turn serve the same purpose for Rillaboom that they do for other Mons that use them, being coverage and pivoting respectively.
Hawlucha@Grassy Seed
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 SpD
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Unburden
-Swords Dance
-Iron Head
-Close Combat
-Acrobatics
There are many team cores that have defined this generation of competitive Pokemon, and Rillaboom + Hawlucha is the one that piqued my interest the most. Hawlucha is one of the best wallbreakers in the current metagame, especially after a few setup turns. Grassy Seed doubling the holder's Defense allows Hawlucha an extra layer of protection against physical-Mon counters such as Corviknight and (Foul Play) Mandibuzz. Working in tandem with this is Unburden; Other than making Hawlucha fast enough to sweep entire teams, no longer having an item boosts Acrobatics to deadly proportions, especially after a Swords Dance. Being part Flying gives Hawlucha immunity to Ground-type moves that aren't weakened by Rillaboom's Grassy Terrain, mainly Nidoking's Earth Power. Hawlucha's Fighting STAB, the ubiquitous Close Combat, also shreds through Blissey, who otherwise stops momentum generated by Gardevoir. From my experience, Iron Head is a very unconventional choice for Hawlucha. Nonetheless, a sweeper with a partial Fighting-typing needs a good Fairy counter; Upon suggestion from a friend, I chose Iron Head, as it's the best anti-Fairy move Hawlucha has. All in all, Rillaboom and Hawlucha are two mons with excellent synergy, and are an equally excellent offensive core for this balance team.
Incineroar@Choice Scarf
EVs: 252 SpD/252 Spe/4 HP
Nature: Careful
Ability: Intimidate
-Will-o-Wisp
-Taunt
-Parting Shot
-Darkest Lariat
Incineroar and Slowking make up a defensive core that I believe has a lot of untapped potential in the current metagame. Since I know this is already raising eyebrows, allow me to explain. Incineroar is bar none my favorite Pokemon (What can I say? I love professional wrestling). When I saw that Incineroar dropped to RU last January, I became driven to prove its greatness. With that being said, what niche does Incineroar fill exactly? Put simply, Incineroar is an excellent status-spreader and debuffer. On top of an automatic Attack cut thanks to Intimidate, Incineroar has access to Burn via Will-o-Wisp, as well as further offensive drops thanks to Parting Shot. Parting Shot also lets Incineroar pivot out of dicey situations, further adding to what I lovingly refer to as its "trickiness". Darkest Lariat, though sticking out like a sore thumb on this moveset, serves to provide Dark-type coverage that nobody else on this team has. More importantly, Darkest Lariat can cripple Latios and Slowbro as well as OHKO Dragapult, giving Incineroar even more viability. Choice Scarf is relatively unseen on Incineroar; However, maximum Speed investment with Scarf makes Incineroar faster than a lot of the threats of the metagame, mainly Kartana, who Incineroar usually wants to Burn to prevent its own OHKO via Sacred Sword.
Slowking@Heavy-Duty Boots
EVs: 252 HP/252 SpA/4 Def
Nature: Calm
Ability: Regenerator
-Slack Off
-Ice Beam
-Scald
-Psychic
With the rising threat of Terrakion, Incineroar needs a wall to cover its physical weaknesses, since it's been EVd to be Specially defensive. This is exactly where Slowking comes in. Although Slowking has been seen as more of a Special wall in the past, I have created a set that I believe can wall both sides. Regenerator is unequivocally one of the best abilities in the game. All you have to do is switch Slowking out, and it regains 30% of its max HP. On top of this, Heavy-Duty Boots lets Slowking switch in on potential hazards that this team can't get rid of, such as Stealth Rocks from Heatran, Garchomp and Excadrill. Slowking's moveset is purely defensive. Slack Off is the standard recovery move for the set; Ice Beam and Scald both serve as status-spreading damage moves for when Incineroar isn't necessary for the task at hand. For the last move, I'm going to give a rather blunt outlook on things: Psyshock just isn't worth it. The only real reason why you'd want to use it is for walls like Blissey; If you go into the match well-prepared for such walls, you can get around using an odd move like Psyshock, hence why I chose Psychic. Incineroar and Slowking are an overall unorthodox defensive core, but their pivoting capabilities and ease of spreading status make them quite the momentum killers if one is not prepared for their trickery.
Blaziken@Life Orb
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 SpD
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Speed Boost
-Protect
-Bulk Up
-Flare Blitz
-Close Combat
When I set to making this team, one of the Pokemon I most wanted to use is Blaziken. Blaziken has the unique niche of being an offensive wallbreaker that relies on a defensive strategy to get things going. Although Urshifu-R can bypass Protect by way of Unseen Fist, this is the only threat that Blaziken has to worry about in that regard. Quite frankly, Blaziken after a few turns trading Bulk Up and Protect is disgusting, especially with an Adamant nature, max investment, and a Life Orb boost. Flare Blitz, one of the most common moves for Blaziken sets, exists on my set specifically because I forewent Fire coverage on my Incineroar. The odd one out on this moveset is Bulk Up. Most people who use Blaziken choose Swords Dance for their boosting move; consider this: Hawlucha is known for sweeping entire teams with its boosted Close Combat; Blaziken does the exact same thing, but its Attack stat is larger. Why use one turn to boost your Attack by two stages when you can boost your already high Attack AND Defense? If anything, boosting Defense makes Blaziken more of an adept sweeper, because it can patch up its Defense stats to protect against potential priority. Overall, Blaziken is an extremely dangerous Mon this format, who has the offensive capabilities to sweep, with the defensive capabilities to stall until the time is right to retaliate with supremely strong STAB.
Gardevoir@Choice Specs
EVs: 252 SpA/252 Spe/4 HP
-Shadow Ball
-Thunderbolt
-Psychic
-Moonblast
Gardevoir's role on this team is to serve as both a Special wallbreaker, and a Special wall when the situation doesn't call for Slowking. Although Gardevoir's Special Defense pales in comparison to that of Assault Vest Slowking, its different typing allows it to take neutral damage from attacks that prey on Slowking's Water-typing. Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt are on this set purely for coverage; Because I chose to not put Thunder Punch on Blaziken, I've chosen to give Thunderbolt to Gardevoir because of its potent wallbreaking abilities. With Choice Specs and maximum investment, all four of Gardevoir's moves hit like a truck. Because Blaziken, and Hawlucha are both Physical wallbreakers, a Special wallbreaker was all but necessary on this team. Kartana, easily the biggest threat Gardevoir faces in this format, is easily walled by Blaziken and Hawlucha. All in all, Gardevoir is a Special cleaner capable of denting even the toughest walls, while also being capable of taking a few hits itself if you play things correctly.
I would greatly appreciate any feedback you guys have about my team composition, as well as any team-member changes you guys might have suggestions for. Thanks, and happy battling!
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