Hey guys. You've probably heard this story like a hundred times, but I'm pretty new to competitive pokemon battling and i've spend a lot of time reading RMT's and trying to learn the game. I have a shoddy account that i've spend a lot of time on using this team and i just want some suggestions on ways to improve the team. The goal of the team is to remove Jirachi's counters and weaken the rest of the opponent's pokes to set up a late game jirachi sweep. It has been working alright, but there is definately room for improvement. So smogonites, here it is:
(I can't figure out how to put pictures in here, so if anyone could inform me that would make this much more visually appealing)
Honckkrow @ Focus Sash
Insomnia
Hasty
252 Atk, 232 Speed, 20 Sp. Atk
--Heatwave
--Pursuit
--Sucker Punch
--Superpower
I absolutely love this little guy. I ran an azelf lead for a long time, but I got annoyed from always losing speed ties to other azelf's (I seriously have the absolute worst luck in the universe). Now i love whenever the opponent starts with azelf. Pursuit on the first turn takes away around 65% while they set up rocks. Then I sucker punch and it's dead. From there I leave a dent in whatever they send in next and go from there. I have insomnia which alot of people forget about so they waste a turn trying to put me to sleep with Gengar leads, which I take out much like azelf. Ttar leads die from a superpower. Basically, Hochy's job is to just take out the other lead and hopefully survive to hurt their next poke. I don't mind that the other lead is setting up rocks on me because I don't really have any major stealth rocks weaknesses.
Honchkrow really doesn't have any synergy with the rest of my team but he doesn't need any. He is not a suicide lead or a SR lead. I like to think of him as more of an anti-lead. I plan on losing him right away. I just hope that I do take out atleast the other lead with me.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Sand Stream
Adamant
172 HP, 252 Atk, 84 Speed
--Crunch
--Earthquake
--Pursuit
--Stone Edge
Probably the weakest link of the team. He starts the sandstorm that most the team doesn't mind. His main job is rotom killer. Other than that, his stone edge does heavy damage to the likes of skarm. The only time I really use crunch is late in the game where everything is weak and it has a chance to finish things off with neutral damage. He also doesn't mind taking thunderbolts for suicune once flygon is out. I am thinking about transferring some more EV's to special defense or defense, but those speed ev's are key to outspeeding skarm before it can roose. Also, he is my only really solution to zapdos after flygon is gone because its heatwave destroys my steel types. Overall though, I don't think that he really pulls his weight, I just don't know what to replace him with.
Ttar is usually the first poke I send out after honcky is down. Four out of the next five pokes on my team like sandstorm. Ttar can take electric moves for suicune (although flygon is my first choice), and he can also bear taking fire attacks for scizor and jirachi. He is my number one choice for switch in on rotom.
Flygon @ Choice Scarf
Levitate
Adamant
4 HP, 252 Atk, 252 Speed
--Earthquake
--Outrage
--Stone Edge
--U-turn
Originally I ran the banded set. It was nice because everyone expected me to be scarfed and then I surprised them with really heavy hits. Only problem was this surprise only worked once a battle. Lots of threats outsped me and I rarely found myself getting more than one KO with him. I like the scarf version much better. He puts a dents into things and then runs away. However, he is not very strong so his dents are not usually very big. However, once I've elimated all of the opponent's steel types I can pretty much sweep with outrage.
Kingdra is a poke that I absolutely love, but can be quite annoying. Flygon is fast and hurts the king pretty bad with outrage. Flygon is also my switch in for ground moves that ttar and jirachi hate. If cune hasn't had a good chance to set up, then flygon loves switching in to electic moves.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Pressure
Bold
252 HP, 252 Def, 4 Speed
--Calm Mind
--Rest
--Sleep Talk
--Surf
I absolutely love this thing. He is my status absorber and he doesn't mind switching into some heavy hits either. After a few calm mind I laugh at jolteons and gengars with thunderbolt. The only thing that wrecks my fun is vaporeon, because there is nothing I can do against it. I considered RestTalk Gyara, but I figured that I had enough physical hitters already. Also, suicune is great for pressure stalling pokes that could threaten the rest of my team.
Suicune is my general switch in for fighting moves directed at scizor and ttar. Other than that, cune takes fire moves and water moves.
Scizor @ Leftovers
Technician
Adamant
252 HP, 76 Atk, 4 Speed, 176 Special Def
--Brick Break
--Bullet Punch
--Roost
--Swords Dance
When i designed the team, I planned on bullet punch being pretty much the only thing I use him for. I needed a good priority move to finish sashers off as well as counter other scizor. However, superpower from other scizors demolish me. I considered switching my brick break out for superpower, and I really can't think of a reason not to. I also considered swiching this to a specs lucario with vacuum wave. I haven't yet because his scizor has pretty good durability. I can set up a little on top of other things setting up and unleash BP fury. Brick break is to hurt heatran pretty bad, if it is not scarfed. I can take a thunderbolt from most magnezones, and then strike back with BB.
My switch in to BP's. I planned on using him as a revenge killer only, but now i'll switch him into bug, dark, steel, electric, and water attacks. Since he is kinda bulky and has roost, he can stand his own against most bulky waters.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Serene Grace
Timid
252 HP, 176 Speed, 80 Special Atk
--Calm Mind
--Psychic
--Substitute
--Thunderbolt
The smogon site made this set seem really glamorous. I am thinking about dropping substitute for another attacking move because I rarely use it. Once I have three or four CMs under my belt this little guy absolutely eats teams alive. I originally had flash cannon instead of TB for a second strong STAB move, but changing to TB seems to have been a great idea. I do wish that I had a recovery move, but wish is not exactly my favorite recovery move without protect. I find that jirachi is a poke that a lot of people overlook. The plan is to break out jirachi late in the battle, set up, and rip through teams from there.
Jirachi does not have too much synergy with the rest of the team. I usually save him to the end of the battle, and I if I've done my job right, I won't have to switch him out for anything.
So I'm hoping you guys can give me some suggestions on what to change or replace. I am game for anything. I am winning probably four out of five of my battles. Some things to note: huge nape weakness. Especially if it is a lead or a nasty plotter. There are probably some major things that I am overlooking, but I thought about the threat list when I made the team, and if you guys want I'll add a comprehensive threat list to this post.
Oh and if anyone is curious about the name, i named the team "off frequently" so when someone beats me, they can say that they beat off frequently.
Honckkrow @ Focus Sash
Insomnia
Hasty
252 Atk, 232 Speed, 20 Sp. Atk
--Heatwave
--Pursuit
--Sucker Punch
--Superpower
I absolutely love this little guy. I ran an azelf lead for a long time, but I got annoyed from always losing speed ties to other azelf's (I seriously have the absolute worst luck in the universe). Now i love whenever the opponent starts with azelf. Pursuit on the first turn takes away around 65% while they set up rocks. Then I sucker punch and it's dead. From there I leave a dent in whatever they send in next and go from there. I have insomnia which alot of people forget about so they waste a turn trying to put me to sleep with Gengar leads, which I take out much like azelf. Ttar leads die from a superpower. Basically, Hochy's job is to just take out the other lead and hopefully survive to hurt their next poke. I don't mind that the other lead is setting up rocks on me because I don't really have any major stealth rocks weaknesses.
Honchkrow really doesn't have any synergy with the rest of my team but he doesn't need any. He is not a suicide lead or a SR lead. I like to think of him as more of an anti-lead. I plan on losing him right away. I just hope that I do take out atleast the other lead with me.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Sand Stream
Adamant
172 HP, 252 Atk, 84 Speed
--Crunch
--Earthquake
--Pursuit
--Stone Edge
Probably the weakest link of the team. He starts the sandstorm that most the team doesn't mind. His main job is rotom killer. Other than that, his stone edge does heavy damage to the likes of skarm. The only time I really use crunch is late in the game where everything is weak and it has a chance to finish things off with neutral damage. He also doesn't mind taking thunderbolts for suicune once flygon is out. I am thinking about transferring some more EV's to special defense or defense, but those speed ev's are key to outspeeding skarm before it can roose. Also, he is my only really solution to zapdos after flygon is gone because its heatwave destroys my steel types. Overall though, I don't think that he really pulls his weight, I just don't know what to replace him with.
Ttar is usually the first poke I send out after honcky is down. Four out of the next five pokes on my team like sandstorm. Ttar can take electric moves for suicune (although flygon is my first choice), and he can also bear taking fire attacks for scizor and jirachi. He is my number one choice for switch in on rotom.
Flygon @ Choice Scarf
Levitate
Adamant
4 HP, 252 Atk, 252 Speed
--Earthquake
--Outrage
--Stone Edge
--U-turn
Originally I ran the banded set. It was nice because everyone expected me to be scarfed and then I surprised them with really heavy hits. Only problem was this surprise only worked once a battle. Lots of threats outsped me and I rarely found myself getting more than one KO with him. I like the scarf version much better. He puts a dents into things and then runs away. However, he is not very strong so his dents are not usually very big. However, once I've elimated all of the opponent's steel types I can pretty much sweep with outrage.
Kingdra is a poke that I absolutely love, but can be quite annoying. Flygon is fast and hurts the king pretty bad with outrage. Flygon is also my switch in for ground moves that ttar and jirachi hate. If cune hasn't had a good chance to set up, then flygon loves switching in to electic moves.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Pressure
Bold
252 HP, 252 Def, 4 Speed
--Calm Mind
--Rest
--Sleep Talk
--Surf
I absolutely love this thing. He is my status absorber and he doesn't mind switching into some heavy hits either. After a few calm mind I laugh at jolteons and gengars with thunderbolt. The only thing that wrecks my fun is vaporeon, because there is nothing I can do against it. I considered RestTalk Gyara, but I figured that I had enough physical hitters already. Also, suicune is great for pressure stalling pokes that could threaten the rest of my team.
Suicune is my general switch in for fighting moves directed at scizor and ttar. Other than that, cune takes fire moves and water moves.
Scizor @ Leftovers
Technician
Adamant
252 HP, 76 Atk, 4 Speed, 176 Special Def
--Brick Break
--Bullet Punch
--Roost
--Swords Dance
When i designed the team, I planned on bullet punch being pretty much the only thing I use him for. I needed a good priority move to finish sashers off as well as counter other scizor. However, superpower from other scizors demolish me. I considered switching my brick break out for superpower, and I really can't think of a reason not to. I also considered swiching this to a specs lucario with vacuum wave. I haven't yet because his scizor has pretty good durability. I can set up a little on top of other things setting up and unleash BP fury. Brick break is to hurt heatran pretty bad, if it is not scarfed. I can take a thunderbolt from most magnezones, and then strike back with BB.
My switch in to BP's. I planned on using him as a revenge killer only, but now i'll switch him into bug, dark, steel, electric, and water attacks. Since he is kinda bulky and has roost, he can stand his own against most bulky waters.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Serene Grace
Timid
252 HP, 176 Speed, 80 Special Atk
--Calm Mind
--Psychic
--Substitute
--Thunderbolt
The smogon site made this set seem really glamorous. I am thinking about dropping substitute for another attacking move because I rarely use it. Once I have three or four CMs under my belt this little guy absolutely eats teams alive. I originally had flash cannon instead of TB for a second strong STAB move, but changing to TB seems to have been a great idea. I do wish that I had a recovery move, but wish is not exactly my favorite recovery move without protect. I find that jirachi is a poke that a lot of people overlook. The plan is to break out jirachi late in the battle, set up, and rip through teams from there.
Jirachi does not have too much synergy with the rest of the team. I usually save him to the end of the battle, and I if I've done my job right, I won't have to switch him out for anything.
So I'm hoping you guys can give me some suggestions on what to change or replace. I am game for anything. I am winning probably four out of five of my battles. Some things to note: huge nape weakness. Especially if it is a lead or a nasty plotter. There are probably some major things that I am overlooking, but I thought about the threat list when I made the team, and if you guys want I'll add a comprehensive threat list to this post.
Oh and if anyone is curious about the name, i named the team "off frequently" so when someone beats me, they can say that they beat off frequently.
