• Smogon Premier League is here and the team collection is now available. Support your team!

First RMT

Wow, I don't really know how to describe this team. I recently got into competitive battling. I understand everything, the rules, strategies etc., but the only thing I have trouble with is team-building. I am a very horrible team-builder... :/
So this is my first post on smogon, I don't really know how to do anything just yet, so I'm going to keep my post layout like other RMTs.
......
AT A GLANCE​
635.gif
492.gif
094.gif
248.gif
472.gif
385.gif

......
IN DEPTH
(Changes in BOLD)

635.gif
@ Expert Belt
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Surf
- Draco Meteor

Expert Belt Hydreigon is actually a great unpredicted lead. 4 powerful moves for coverage, with boosted damage if Super Effective. Judging by team preview, 90% of the time I would use Hydreigon for lead. Then, once I have attacked for the first time, they'll think I'm Choice specs due to the modest nature plus Expert Belt. I love it. :D I've had Ferrothorns switch in on me after a Draco Meteor at one point.


492.gif
@ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Seed Flare
- Earth Power
- Rest
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Shaymin is unexpectedly bulky (unexpectedly bulky for me anyway), and it has helped me do well a lot. I chose it over Virizion because it can actually take a hit, and hit back hard too. Timid over Modest because I need that extra speed, and I'm thinking of changing HP Ice to HP Fire, Bronzongs tend to switch in on me a lot.


094.gif
@ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

Gengar @ Basic Sub+3attacks. People always predict the sub and bring out a poke which tries to counter the SubPS/SubDisable set, and I'll easily beat them with HP Fire most of the time.
I chose Gengar because it has had the most success with me from earlier testing and getting used to the metagame. Whereas it also has amazing synergy with Tyranitar.

248.gif
@ Chople Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4Def / 252 SpDef
Careful Nature (+SpDef, -SpAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Superpower

- Crunch

Tyranitar has great synergy with Gengar, and with this, he can bring out rocks, Pursuit trap those who are weak to it and guaranteed damage with Superpower and Crunch. Careful nature for increased SpDef, because 252 SpDef EVs + Sandstorm + Careful = awesome.
Not much I can say, this set is a better counterpart to the other one I attempted to use (SubBOAH), and I like this change.


472.gif
@ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Taunt

- Ice Fang
- Earthquake

SD+Taunt Gliscor is one of my ways of getting around stall. I setup, then EQ or Ice Fang. It's a simple but effective way to get past it. Taunt is to prevent other Pokemon from using Gliscor as a setup fodder, and to stop pokes like Blissey from recovering with Softboiled. Taunt also stops me from being Whirlwinded/Roared by pokes by the likes of Skarmory.

385.gif
@ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 216 SDef / 40 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Wish
- Protect

Replaced Lanturn due to my big Reuniclus weakness (which I noticed throughout PO, Hydreigon wasn't enough to stop it at the time) and I like it. EV spread made to outspeed standard Celebis, Protect to scout, and to ensure my safety from a wish. Iron Head + Body Slam hax is self explanatory.

Well, there we have it. My first post on Smogon, + my first RMT. I know this team is horrible, so as much criticism as possible is appreciated.

EXPORTED FROM PO
Code:
Gengar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

Shaymin @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Seed Flare
- Earth Power
- Rest
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Hydreigon (M) @ Expert Belt
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Surf
- Draco Meteor

Tyranitar (M) @ Chople Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Superpower
- Pursuit
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch

Gliscor (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang
- Taunt

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 216 SDef / 40 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Wish
- Protect
 
This is actually pretty good for a first RMT. I do however see a weakness to Volcarona. Everything you have at the moment can't really do much to take it on after a Quiver Dance. So I suggest one of two things: one, make Tyranitar a secially defensive variant with Rock Slide. With special defense investment Tyranitar can take even an LO +1 Quiver Dance from Volcarona. I also recommend having Stealth Rock on it, which is very valuable for the damage it provides over the course of a battle. It also helps with Lati@s, which give you trouble at the moment.

Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Sand Stream
Careful 252/0/4/0/252/0
- Rock Slide
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Stealth Rock

Since you're using Lanturn solely as a Thundurus counter, I recommend replacing it with specially defensive Jirachi, since you lack a Steel-type. It also helps against Reuniclus, who you seem to struggle with a bit.

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Serene Grace
Careful 252/0/4/0/252/0
- Iron Head
- Body Slam / Thunder Wave
- Wish
- Protect / Ice Punch

Also, I recommend you replace Protect on Hydreigon with one of U-turn, Focus Blast, or Dark Pulse, since Protect doesn't do much for it and helps the opponent wear it down from sand damage.

Good luck.
 
Don't you have kinda of a Mamoswine weak. It can hit hard with Ice moves (Hydreigon, Vizirion and Gliscor), Can EQ your Lanturn, Superpower your T-Tar and hit Gengar with wathever.

Sorry if I'm being to specific in a pokémon, but if I see a Mamoswine in the OU tier, it is mostly that set with CB
 
@Tobes Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try both sets out, and I'll add them to the main post soon :)
@KM888 I guess I do need a Mamoswine counter, but as stated before, I'm a horrible teambuilder, so I'm weak to these type of things :/
 
Hey,

I would like to second Tobes idea on the Jirachi however the set should be:

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Serene Grace
Careful 252/0/0/0/216/40
- Iron Head
- Body Slam / Thunder Wave
- Wish
- Protect / U-turn

Changes in bold. The reason for the 40 speed EVs is so you can out speed standard Celebi while U-turn can be used over Protect if you want need to escape Magnezone.

Hope this helped, good luck.
 
Hey there.

On Virizion, use Leftovers instead of Life Orb. The extra recovery every turn is very much appreciated, and eases prediction against people that try to Life Orb stall you; with Sandstorm and Life Orb , Virizion will be worn down extremely quickly.

On Jirachi, I understand the point of U-Turn, but Protect is much more useful in most battles. As without it, it will be much harder for Jirachi to recover it's health, faster threats being able to get off two hits on it before Jirachi gets healed by Wish. It is also useful for scouting.
 
If you want a bulky special grass type sweeper maybe a LO Shaymin could work for you. A set like this:
4 Hp / 252 Sp.Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid / Modest
Ability: Natural Cure
Item: LO
Moves:

Seed Flare
Earth Power
Hidden Power [Fire] / [Ice]
Rest

Since Virizion only has giga drain for recovery and considering the number of types that resist grass, the combination of natural cure and rest means that shaymin will be fighting at 50% or more most of the time. Seed Flare is a powerful grass attack that has 40% of lowering special defense and thats a great bonus for any special sweeper. Hp fire is great for the likes of scizor or balloon magnezone. Hp ice is great for flying types, but don't overestimate hp ice it only has 70 base attack. Timid or modest is up to you whether or not you want speed more power.

Good Luck!
 
Thanks for the suggestions, I'm not sure whether to have either LO or Lefties on Virizion, and if it doesn't seem to be doing much work with both, I'll keep Shaymin.
I'll test out Protect/U-Turn soon as well, my decision will be updated in the first post.
 
Hey, this is a cool team. However, it's unfortunately still weak to some offensive threats like Quiver Dance Volcarona, Nasty Plot Thundurus, Double Dance Terrakion, and others. Volcarona outspeeds and KOes everything on your team after a Quiver Dance besides Tyranitar, but he's weak to Bug Buzz, so it's a rather shaky check. Nasty Plot Thundurus outspeeds and KOs everything on your team as well besides Jirachi, but if Jirachi has a little prior damage or Stealth Rock is up and you're unlucky with RNG, it sweeps your team. Double Dance Terrakion can use Swords Dance to muscle through Gliscor and then Rock Polish to outspeeds Virizion and Gengar.

Fortunately, all these weaknesses are pretty easy to patch up with one change. That change is using a Swords Dance Excadrill over Hydreigon. Excadrill outspeeds all of these threats and KOes them with the appropriate move. It also has some good synergy with Virizion, as Virizion beats the Gliscor Excadrill can't beat. The set is:

530.gif

Excadrill @ Air Balloon | Sand Rush
Adamant | 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Swords Dance / Earthquake / Rock Slide / Return


I also suggest changing Rock Slide on Tyranitar to Superpower. You don't need him to check Volcarona anymore, and the ability to hit opposing Tyranitar and Terrakion, as well as perfect coverage, is too good to pass up on.

Good luck with the team!
 
Protect IS superior over U-Turn in my team (on Jirachi), I will update first post soon, I've tested an Excadrill, and I'm not too keen on it.
@FriedRhys As soon as I put Chople Berry on my Tyranitar, I can't find any Thundurus', so I have yet to test that, I'm still debating HP Fire over Pain Split, and I love SD+Taunt on Gliscor. Expert Belt Hydreigon has been great for bluffs.

Thanks to both of you for good suggestions. :D
 
I like that you've used both Shaymin and Jirachi, good synergy :D but you could have quite a bit of bother with TR Reuniclus, and try changing Fire Blast on Hydreigon to Flamethrower as you don't want to miss on an incoming Ferrothorn if you're trying to bluff a scarf or specs
 
I guess I could, but I'm not sure, so I need more support on that because I'm not sure if the extra power matters.
 
Back
Top